Upright walking is a hallmark of being human. Explore how this unusual form of locomotion evolved and why.
This course is made available through the eLearnAfrica and Edx partnership.
Have you ever wondered why humans walk on two legs rather than four? In this course, we will explore how science investigates this unusual form of locomotion. We will start our investigation by looking at the mechanics of upright walking in humans and comparing that to bipedal locomotion in large birds, bears, and apes.
We will journey back millions of years into the human fossil record in an effort to understand how and why upright walking evolved. Around our first birthday, each of us learned how to walk, but how does this happen? With bipedalism came costly trade-offs as well-- we’ll examine these aches and pains as byproducts of our evolutionary history.
This course will take an intentionally interdisciplinary approach to studying how and why humans move bipedally. You will be exposed to anthropology, biomechanics, anatomy, evolution and paleontology to explore something deeply human: upright walking.
This course was developed in collaboration with SmithsonianX (National Musuem of Natural History and the National Zoological Park).
Certificate cost may vary. You will be redirected to the host page for cost and payment options.
Founded in 1769, Dartmouth is a member of the Ivy League and consistently ranks among the world's greatest academic institutions. Dartmouth has forged a singular identity for combining its deep commitment to outstanding undergraduate liberal arts and graduate education with distinguished research and scholarship in the Arts & Sciences and its three leading professional schools—the Geisel School of Medicine, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business.
DartmouthX Goals
This institution is available on eLearnAfrica through partnership with Edx.
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Effective Date: September 22, 2016