A research group has used deep learning to analyze the whole-body X-rays of 31,000 individuals and their genomes to understand the genetic regions responsible for human bipedalism. The study found that walking upright helped with better cooling in hot climates, in addition to providing advantages for hunting. The team examined skeletal ratios and identified the genetic map for these ratios, such as shorter arms and longer legs, narrow hips, and high stature in humans compared to apes. The research also analyzed energy expenditure, body mass index, and body weight without fat, concluding that cooling improves with increasing leg length. The study also identified genomic regions that carry an increased risk of diseases like arthrosis. This groundbreaking research was published in the science magazine, Science, and was playfully titled “These Bones Were Made For Walking.”
