Knuckle-walking

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/knuckle-walking

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 (chimpanzee)?Pan troglodytes
2. What is the habitat (gorilla)?Tropical and subtropical forests of Central Africa, including montane and lowland regions
3. Why do gorillas and chimpanzees walk on their knuckles?Walking on knuckles gives them a stable platform and reduces wrist stress. It also helps them move easily in forests and savannas.
4. How do animals like anteaters use knuckle-walking?Anteaters walk on their knuckles to protect their long sharp claws while digging for food. This keeps the claws safe from damage.

Metacarpophalangeal joints: The joints in the hand that connect the finger bones to the hand bones, forming the knuckles.
Homoplasy: The independent evolution of similar features in different species, not due to inheritance from a common ancestor.
Quadrupedal locomotion: Movement or walking on four limbs.