Overview
- The NYU-led team re-examined a partial femur and ulnae from Chad using comparative measurements and 3D morphometrics.
- Authors report a femoral tubercle—previously documented in bipedal hominins—plus femoral antetorsion and gluteal muscle signatures consistent with upright gait.
- The study in Science Advances argues Sahelanthropus was a chimp-sized bipedal ape that still relied on trees for foraging and safety.
- Critics from the Max Planck Institute describe the bipedal evidence as weak, citing damaged bone, ape-like affinities, and doubts about the tubercle’s diagnostic value.
- Researchers on the Chadian–French team say the question will require additional fossils and plan to resume fieldwork in the Djurab desert this year.