This course will take you through the kinematics of human locomotion including modeling upright walking as a controlled fall, how muscles and bones work together to move individuals using a series of joints and levers, and how the abductor mechanism works to solve the “seesaw problem” of side-to-side wobbling. You will also understand how paleoanthropologists look for musculoskeletal adaptations in fossils to reconstruct how something in the past moved. You’ll explore how musculoskeletal adaptations correlate with bipedalism, as well as what significance these clues hold for telling us about how hominins moved. Additionally, you will learn the kinematics of other habitual striding bipeds found in the animal kingdom.
Mechanics & Origins of Bipedalism
Mechanics & Origins of Bipedalism
This course is part of Bipedalism: The Science of Upright Walking Specialization
Instructor: Jeremy DeSilva
Included with 
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
10 hours to complete
3 weeks at 3 hours a week
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
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Shareable certificate
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Assessments
3 assignments
Taught in English
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This course is part of the Bipedalism: The Science of Upright Walking Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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There are 3 modules in this course
This module provides an introduction to the kinematics of human locomotion and the musculoskeletal adaptations for bipedalism.
What's included
11 videos11 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts6 plugins
This module explores how other bipedal walkers move uniquely.
What's included
5 videos1 reading1 assignment2 discussion prompts
This module provides an overview of human evolution and explores the origin of bipedalism.
What's included
17 videos7 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts18 plugins
Instructor
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Basic Science
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
University of Colorado Boulder
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