Assessment Questions 3.7

1. What is Pat Shipman's hypothesis regarding bipedalism, and how does it relate to scavenging behavior?

Shipman proposes that bipedalism was advantageous for hominins who were opportunistic scavengers. Scavengers need to walk great distances and quickly process meat from carcasses, and bipedalism is energy-efficient for these tasks.

2. According to Peter Rodman and Henry McHenry, what is their hypothesis about the efficiency of human locomotion compared to that of chimps?

Rodman and McHenry propose that human locomotion is more energy-efficient than chimp locomotion. Humans expend only one-quarter of the energy of a chimp while walking on two legs.

3. How does the ability to run provide advantages in both hunting and scavenging?

Running would have been advantageous in hunting by allowing hominins to catch up to prey and get close enough to use weapons. Scavengers also benefit from endurance running, enabling them to cover great distances to exploit carcasses and compete with other scavengers.