July 22, 2004
Directional evolution or simple genetic variation?
First, it turned out that our big human brains might all be due to a single mutation in a gene that shrunk our jaw muscles and let our skulls expand. Now, we find out that a single physiological change in brain function, which can be caused by brain damage, may have led us to walk upright:
A monkey at an Israeli zoo started walking like a human after recovering from a serious illness.Natasha, a five-year-old macaque at the Safari Park, near Tel Aviv, now walks exclusively on her hind legs.
She almost died of a severe stomach flu but suddenly stabilized and was released from the zoo's clinic.
Workers at the zoo say that's when she started walking upright exclusively, reports CBC News.
Monkeys usually alternate between upright walking and moving on all fours.
A zoo veterinarian says he's not sure why she has altered her behaviour but says the illness could have caused brain damage.
Other than walking upright, the vet says Natasha's behaviour has returned to normal.
The interesting thing will be if they can determine the part of her brain that was damaged.
Posted by Mike at July 22, 2004 01:30 PM | TrackBack