CAREER: Tracking the evolution of human locomotion through field, experimental, and computational analyses of fossil footprints

Bipedality, walking on two feet, is a defining feature of humans. This project examines comparative and functional aspects of bipedalism that advance knowledge about human adaptation and biomechanics and can inform translational research on human locomotion. The project analyzes fossil footprints through the combined application of field, experimental and computational methods. Training and hands-on experience in paleoanthropological methods are provided to students at different education levels. A new course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), combined with individually mentored research experiences, provides students with opportunities to directly contribute to laboratory analyses. Science outreach activities engage the public on STEM research topics. The field excavations in this project significantly increase the volume of data available to test long-standing hypotheses about human bipedalism. Through laboratory experiments, new analytical methods are developed to relate footprint morphology to foot morphology and biomechanics, allowing for detailed understandings of human locomotion. The project also advances methods for finding, excavating, and analyzing fossil footprints, opening new avenues for these data to address major questions in paleoanthropology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.