Bipedalism

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bipedalism

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Bipedalism is a mode of locomotion; no specific scientific name applies
2. What is the origin?Evolved independently in various lineages, notably in early hominins and avian dinosaurs
3. Why did early humans start walking on two legs?Scientists think walking upright helped see farther for predators and travel easier on open grasslands. It also helped use hands for tools.
4. How did our bodies change to walk on two legs?The skull opening moved to the middle of the head, the pelvis became wider and shorter, the spine got an S‑curve, and the foot developed a strong arch.

Foramen Magnum: The large opening at the base of the skull through which the spinal cord passes.
Saltatorial Locomotion: Locomotion by leaping or hopping, typically on the hind limbs.
Facultative Bipedalism: The ability to walk on two legs occasionally, but not as the primary mode of locomotion.