[Campbell Biology P.799] Which statement best describes the evolution of bipedalism in early... | Practice Question

Which statement best describes the evolution of bipedalism in early hominins as presented in the text?

  • A: It was a simple, linear progression from quadrupedalism to full bipedalism, driven solely by savanna expansion.
  • B: Early hominins like Ardipithecus were exclusively bipedal and lived in arid savannas to conserve energy.
  • C: While early hominins showed bipedal indications, they lived in mixed habitats, and different species had varied locomotor styles before long-distance bipedalism emerged later.
  • D: Bipedal walking requiring less energy than quadrupedalism was the primary reason for bipedalism's origin 30-35 million years ago.

Explanation

The 'Bipedalism' section explains that while early hominins showed bipedal indications, they lived in 'mixed habitats' not savannas , and the evolution was not 'simple, linear.' It mentions 'varied locomotor styles' among Australopiths and Ardipithecus's ability to switch between walking upright and climbing trees, with long-distance bipedalism emerging much later 1.9 million years ago .