Chimpanzees in Tanzania help British scientists solve mystery of why humans walk on two legs

Early humans probably first walked upright in the trees, study finds

David Keys
Archaeology Correspondent
Wednesday 14 December 2022 19:20 GMT
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<p>An adult male chimpanzee walks upright in the open canopy, characteristic of the Issa Valley habitat</p><p></p>

An adult male chimpanzee walks upright in the open canopy, characteristic of the Issa Valley habitat

Chimpanzees are helping scientists based at British and American universities to solve one of the biggest mysteries of human evolution – why humans walk on two feet rather than four.

It’s a crucial question because having upper limbs with hands rather than just feet has allowed humans to make tools, develop bigger brains and succeed in ways that no other animal has ever been able to do.

Chimps in a woodland area in the interior of Tanzania have been providing scientists with some of the crucial data needed to more fully understand a key aspect of human evolution.

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