The analysis offers a clearer picture of how Australopithecus afarensis ran, suggesting that while they were bipedal, they moved at a significantly slower pace than modern humans.
Herman Pontzer noted that this thorough approach highlights the muscular adaptations that make modern humans capable of running long distances, a feature not fully explored in previous studies.
This study created a detailed 3D digital model of the Lucy skeleton, allowing researchers to assess A. afarensis' running ability more accurately than fossilized footprints and bones alone.
Karl Bates emphasized that studying running involves a more complex analysis than simply examining fossilized remains, which this research successfully addressed by simulating locomotion in a modern context.
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