Overview
- The Science Advances paper led by Scott Williams uses 3D geometric morphometrics to identify a femoral tubercle on the Sahelanthropus thigh bone, interpreted as evidence of upright walking.
- The study reaffirms previously noted markers of bipedalism, including femoral antetorsion and gluteal muscle attachment patterns, and reports relatively longer femur length compared with the ulna.
- The authors argue Sahelanthropus combined terrestrial bipedalism with substantial arboreal behavior, suggesting early hominins walked on the ground yet still spent significant time in trees.
- Multiple specialists question the interpretation, citing poor preservation, ambiguity around the femoral tubercle’s function, and the need for better-preserved material before drawing firm conclusions.
- Chadian–French collaborators plan renewed fieldwork this year at the Djurab Desert site in Chad to recover additional fossils that could resolve the long-running dispute over bipedalism and hominin status.