Book
First steps : how upright walking made us human / Jeremy DeSilva.
A Dartmouth anthropologist whose team discovered two ancient human species explores how our evolution toward bipedalism rendered us dominant, innovative, more compassionate, and more susceptible to health problems.
Human are the only mammals to walk on two rather than four legs, a locomotion known as bipedalism. This has its drawbacks: giving birth is more difficult; our running speed is much slower than that of other animals; and we suffer ailments from hernias to scoliosis. DeSilva explores how unusual and extraordinary this seemingly everyday ability is-- and shows how upright walking is a gateway to many of the other attributes that make us human. -- adapted from jacket
Record details
- ISBN: 9780062938497
- ISBN: 0062938495
- Physical Description: xvii, 334 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
- Edition: First edition.
- Publisher: New York, NY : Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2021]
- Copyright: ©2021
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 273-324) and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Introduction -- The origin of upright walking. How we walk ; T. rex, the Carolina Butcher, and the first bipeds ; "How the human stood upright" and other just-so stories about bipedalism ; Lucy's ancestors ; Ardi and the River Gods -- Becoming human. Ancient footprints ; Many ways to walk a mile ; Hominins on the move ; Migration to Middle Earth -- Walk of life. Baby steps ; Birth and bipedalism ; Gait differences and what they mean ; Myokines and the cost of immobility ; Why walking helps us think ; Of ostrich feet and knee replacements -- Conclusion: The emphatic ape. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Human evolution. Bipedalism. Human beings > Origin. |
Available copies
- 9 of 9 copies available at Missouri Evergreen. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at North Kansas City.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 9 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Kansas City Public Library | 599.938 DESILVA 2021 (Text) | 0001002445169 | Nonfiction | Available | - |
Summary:
A Dartmouth anthropologist whose team discovered two ancient human species explores how our evolution toward bipedalism rendered us dominant, innovative, more compassionate, and more susceptible to health problems.
Human are the only mammals to walk on two rather than four legs, a locomotion known as bipedalism. This has its drawbacks: giving birth is more difficult; our running speed is much slower than that of other animals; and we suffer ailments from hernias to scoliosis. DeSilva explores how unusual and extraordinary this seemingly everyday ability is-- and shows how upright walking is a gateway to many of the other attributes that make us human. -- adapted from jacket
Human are the only mammals to walk on two rather than four legs, a locomotion known as bipedalism. This has its drawbacks: giving birth is more difficult; our running speed is much slower than that of other animals; and we suffer ailments from hernias to scoliosis. DeSilva explores how unusual and extraordinary this seemingly everyday ability is-- and shows how upright walking is a gateway to many of the other attributes that make us human. -- adapted from jacket
