Walking Through Evolution?
Humans are closely related to apes, but one of the biggest changes that happened during our evolution was learning to walk upright, which is a skill known as bipedalism. This ability is something that truly sets us apart, and scientists have always been fascinated by how it developed. Genetics plays a major role in this story, though researchers are still uncovering exactly how our genes helped shape the way we move. One key part of that puzzle is the ilium, a large bone in the pelvis that’s essential for walking. In an article titled, "Uncovering the Genes That Let Our Ancestors Walk Upright", a quote presents, “Many of the leg muscles we use in walking are anchored to the ilium. The bone also supports the pelvic floor, a network of muscles that acts like a basket for our inner organs when we stand up”
(Zimmer 2025). This shows how important the ilium is to our ability to stay upright and balanced. Yet despite its importance, scientists have only recently begun to understand how this bone, and the genes behind it, evolved to make walking possible.
To better understand how humans evolved to walk, Dr. Gayani Senevirathne and her team studied the development of the ilium in both humans and other animals. They compared embryos from mice and 18 different primate species to look for patterns in how the bone forms. As the article explains, “Dr. Senevirathne and her colleagues found that primates develop the ilium in much the same way mice do. Two tiny rods of cartilage take shape on either side of the spine and parallel to it. The rods grow and fuse to the spine, and bone cells replace the cartilage” (Zimmer 2025). This research connects directly to genetics because it shows how the same sets of genes can be used in similar ways across species. However, in humans, these genes behave differently. In human embryos, ilium cells turn the genes on and off in a new pattern in response to signals from nearby cells. This unique change causes the cartilage to form in a new direction, giving humans the pelvis shape needed to walk upright. This discovery helps explains one of the biggest genetic steps in our evolution. Small changes in when and where genes turn on completely reshaped the human pelvis, allowing us to stand and walk on two feet. It’s a reminder of how powerful genetics can be and scientists want to keep learning more about this.
According to science, humans have come a long way with evolution and adapting to environmental changes that have made us how we are today. It interesting how walking upright for example makes unique to other species.
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