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As in a modern human's skeleton, Lucy's bones are rife with evidence clearly pointing to bipedality. Her distal femur shows several traits unique to bipedality. The shaft is angled relative to the condyles (knee joint surfaces), which allows bipeds to balance on one leg at a time during locomotion. There is a prominent patellar lip to keep the patella (knee cap) from dislocating due to this angle. Her condyles are large and are thus adapted to handling the added weight that results from shifting from four limbs to two. The pelvis exhibits a number of adaptations to bipedality. The entire structure has been remodeled to accommodate an upright stance and the need to balance the trunk on only one limb with each stride. The talus, in her ankle, shows evidence for a convergent big toe, sacrificing manipulative abilities for efficiency in bipedal locomotion. The vertebrae show evidence of the spinal curvatures necessitated by a permanent upright stance.

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The Skeleton of the hominid nicknamed Lucy gave anthropologists evidence that?

Upright walking evolved after large brains


The first hominid that is believed to have walked upright is?

Australopithecus afarensis, specifically the famous fossil specimen known as "Lucy," is believed to be one of the earliest hominids that walked upright. With a unique combination of ape-like and human-like characteristics, Lucy provides important insights into the evolution of bipedalism in our early ancestors.


Why is Lucy important?

Lucy, the fossil remains of an Australopithecus afarensis is important because her bones provide evidence that early hominins (man's early ancestors) walked upright. She also represents one of the most complete specimens of a fossilised human ancestor.


Is Lucy human or monkey?

monkeyAnswer:Neither. Lucy is the common name of the skeleton of an individual Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy is estimated to have lived 3.2 million years ago.This hominid was significant as the skeleton shows evidence of small skull capacity akin to that of apes and of bipedal upright walk akin to that of humans. The evidence would indicate Lucy and her kin had separated from the primate branch which includes monkeys and apes but had not yet evolved into humans.


Who were The first species that is believed to have walked upright?

The first species believed to have walked upright on two legs is Australopithecus afarensis, with the most famous example being the fossil "Lucy" discovered in Ethiopia. This early hominin species lived approximately 3.9-2.9 million years ago.


What could Lucy do that the gorilla couldn't?

Lucy was an upright ape, without the opposable big toe unlike a gorilla. Also she was alot weaker in the arm strength than a gorilla. As I mentioned earlier she walked upright and had a different diet to the gorilla which lives off of leaves and fruit. She lived more out on the African planes than a gorilla does. Hope this helped


What could Lucy do that gorillas couldn't?

Lucy was an upright ape, without the opposable big toe unlike a gorilla. Also she was alot weaker in the arm strength than a gorilla. As I mentioned earlier she walked upright and had a different diet to the gorilla which lives off of leaves and fruit. She lived more out on the African planes than a gorilla does. Hope this helped


What did Lucy the ape teach us?

Lucy the ape, an Australopithecus afarensis, taught us about early hominid behavior, anatomy, and locomotion. By studying her fossils, scientists have gained insights into the evolutionary history of humans and our ancestors. Lucy's discovery also provided evidence that upright walking evolved before large brains in human evolution.


How did Lucy walk upright?

Lucy was bipedal, and her leg bones were oriented beneath her pelvis in much the same way as modern humans. We know her species was bipedal because of the footprints found at Laetoli in Tanzania, dated to 3.6 million years ago.


What does Lucy have to do with evolution?

I presume you mean the fossil primate, Lucy. Lucy provides evidence that hominids walked upright before developing a large brain; the fossil has a "modern" pelvis but a small brain - if you saw the animal alive, you might think it is a rather odd looking ape - appearing like a chimp but walking upright. The fossil concerns the evolution of modern man.


Assess the significance of the discovery of the Lucy fossil?

The discovery of the Lucy fossil, a 3.2-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis skeleton, is significant because it provided crucial evidence for understanding human evolution. Lucy's skeletal structure, particularly her bipedalism, suggested that early hominins walked upright long before developing larger brains. This finding helped bridge the gap between apes and modern humans, offering insights into the anatomical adaptations that accompanied the transition to bipedal locomotion. Additionally, Lucy's relatively complete skeleton has allowed researchers to glean important information about the lifestyle and environment of early hominins.


Is the claim that Lucy is a hoax supported by scientific evidence?

No, the claim that Lucy is a hoax is not supported by scientific evidence. Lucy, the fossil of a hominid species called Australopithecus afarensis, has been extensively studied and is widely accepted as a legitimate discovery in the field of paleoanthropology.