Access

Published online 31 May 2007 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news070528-8

News

Upright orangutans point way to walking

Tree-dwellers can benefit from standing on two legs.

A study of orangutans walking through the tree-tops suggests that humans' ancestors may also have first stood upright in the trees, say researchers.

The apes stand on two legs when moving along narrow branches, using their hands to steady them, say Robin Crompton at the University of Liverpool, UK, and his colleagues.

Comments

Reader comments are usually moderated after posting. If you find something offensive or inappropriate, you can speed this process by clicking 'Report this comment' (or, if that doesn't work for you, email redesign@nature.com). For more controversial topics, we reserve the right to moderate before comments are published.