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Dartmouth College

Bipedalism: The Science of Upright Walking

Dartmouth College via Coursera Specialization

Overview

Have you ever wondered why humans walk on two legs rather than four? This Specialization explores how science investigates this unusual form of locomotion. We have developed a Specialization that explores how science investigates this unusual form of locomotion. We start our investigation by looking at the mechanics of upright walking in humans and comparing that to bipedal locomotion in large birds, bears, and apes. We journey back millions of years into the human fossil record in an effort to understand how and why upright walking evolved. Around our first birthday, each of us learned how to walk, but how does this happen? With bipedalism came costly trade-offs as well– in this course, we examine these aches and pains as byproducts of our evolutionary history.

Syllabus

Course 1: Mechanics & Origins of Bipedalism
- Offered by Dartmouth College. This course will take you through the kinematics of human locomotion including modeling upright walking as a ... Enroll for free.

Course 2: Experiments and Variations in Bipedalism
- Offered by Dartmouth College. This course will help you learn how fossils give us an insight into how the early members of our lineage ... Enroll for free.

Course 3: Inquiries Into Bipedalism
- Offered by Dartmouth College. This course will help you learn that the shapes of bones reflect adaptations and the behaviors that animals ... Enroll for free.

Courses

Taught by

Jeremy DeSilva

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