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Student activity: Why do humans walk?
1. What evidence has changed how scientists think early humans first walked? On which fossils did paleoanthropologists find their new evidence? Prior to this discovery, what was the widely-held theory about how humans first walked? How has this discovery changed the way in which scientists consider the relationship between humans and chimpanzees? Between humans and gorillas?
2. Do you think this new evidence is convincing enough to change currently held theories about how humans first walked? How do you think this evidence will affect the current debate over evolutionary theory? How might scientists check on the validity of their findings?
3. The anatomical characteristic these paleoanthropologists are using to link human ancestors to chimpanzees is a vestigial one. When organs or bones are vestigial, it means they functioned in ancestral organisms, but they are reduced in structure and function in descendant organisms. Challenge your students to investigate vestigial structures of humans.
Have students:
Form small groups of 3-4 students.
Select one of the following vestigial structures to investigate: nictating membrane of the eye,
caudal vertebrae of coccyx , appendix of intestines, vestigial DNA.
Investigate the following:
What function, if any, the structure performs in humans today
Possible uses for the structure in the past
Current hypotheses explaining why they have become vestigial.
4. Have each group present its information to the class. Discuss any commonalties or patterns among the vestiges and how this latest discovery might or might not fit into them.
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