First Steps: How Upright Walking Made Us Human. In this skill, we will take an interdisciplinary approach to studying how and why humans move on two legs, using anthropology, biomechanics, anatomy, evolution, and paleontology to explore a profound aspect of our essence: upright walking.
Suggested by: Coursera (What is Coursera?)
No prior knowledge required
No unnecessary risks
Have you ever wondered why humans walk on two legs and not four? This internship explores how science discovers this unusual form of locomotion.
We have developed a specialization that studies the origins of upright walking in humans and compares it to walking on two legs in:
We’ll travel 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 to walk, but how does this happen?
With walking on two legs comes costs – in this course we will examine these pains and hardships as products of our evolutionary history.
Learners are asked to consider the ideas and evidence presented in lectures and readings through course discussions and individual work. In addition, learners are asked to discuss their learning journey with friends or family members as a means of reflection and synthesis.
This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding how and why humans move on two legs. You will be exposed to anthropology, biomechanics, anatomy, evolution, and paleontology to explore something very human: upright walking.
What you will learn:
What you will learn:
What you will learn:
