A very fascinating show was just on PBS called Secrets of the Dead, The Search for the First Humans. It provided some of the latest information on recent fossils found in Kenya of a creature which is 6 million years old and believed to be bipedal and a likely ancestor of humans. It indicated that human ancestors were bipedal much longer than previously believed. It made me think that Chimps and possibly Gorillas probably evolved from bipeds. Interestingly, Lucy (Australopithecus Afarenses) was delegated to no longer a likely human ancestor. The paleontolgists believed she went extinct but who knows? I wonder if she might have evolved into the Paranthropus robustus and boisei which may have evolved into chimps and gorillas. Anyway, the show described a possible evolutionary step in bipedal locomotion which was described as bent-kneed. It certainly resembled Patty's walk . They said that bent-kneed walking was much less efficient than ours. They didn't think it a likely evolutionary path. Perhaps it is still required in Sasquatch due their great weight to avoid injury but if you think about it, walking around with your knees bent would tend to be tiring. It would be like squatting instead of standing straight up. Bigfoot must truly be tremendous athletes. There is so much we don't know. Anyway it is well worth watching and is rich in graphics and interviews with the top paleontolgists.
Posted on May 15, 2002, 11:29 PM from IP address 65.188.64.221