The natural history of human gait and posture

The human fossil record is one of the most complete for any mammal. A basal ancestral species, Australopithecus afarensis, exhibits a well-preserved postcranium that permits reconstruction of important events in the evolution of our locomotor skeleton. When compared to those of living apes and humans, it provides insights into the origin and design of the modern human frame. Evolutionary aspects of the human hip and thigh are reviewed, including the unusual corticotrabecular structure of the human proximal femur, and our markedly elongated lower limb. It is postulated that the latter may be more related to birthing capacity than to locomotion.