Walking with Lucy

How did bipedalism come to be? What body parts allow humans to walk upright, while chimpanzees walk on knuckles?

Appearing next to a full-scale recreation of the famous "Lucy" skeleton (Australopithecus afarensis) in Tusher African Hall, this computer animation compares the distinctive gaits of a chimpanzee, A. afarensis, and modern human, highlighting the trait of upright walking that the latter two share.

Can you spot the similarities and differences amongst the skeletons?

Lucy and chimpanzees share:

• elongated skull with small brain case
• face and jaws that jut out from the brain case
• shoulder blades and joints that are suited for climbing trees
• long arms and hands with curved fingers

Lucy and modern humans share:

• spine connection beneath the skull to keep the head steady
• robust and broad basin-shaped pelvis to support the upper body and hold it upright
• angled thigh bones that place the weight directly over strong knee joints
• compact and arched feet that support the full body weight with each step