Scientists discover gene that let humans walk upright

A study combining large-scale biobank data, machine learning, and genomics has identified the genes that helped primates start walking upright on two legs.

The ability to walk on two legs freed two hands for humans to wield tools. (Wikimedia foundation)

If primates had not switched to walking on two legs millions of years ago, it is unlikely that it would have freed two hands for humans to make use of tools. So, bipedal locomotion, the word for walking on two legs, could be thought of as one of the most significant advances in our evolutionary history. Now, scientists claim to have found the gene which made that possible.

Researchers combined deep learning and genome-wide association studies to create what is the first map of the genome regions that are responsible for the skeletal changes in primates that led to upright walking, according to Columbia University. This map shows that the genes that caused these changes were strongly supported by natural selection, giving early humans and evolutionary advantage.

“On a more practical level, we’ve also identified genetic variants and skeletal features that are associated with hip, knee, and back arthritis, the leading causes of adult disability in the United States,” says Tarjinder Singh, co-author of a study published in the journal Science, in a press statement.