Balance and mass distribution of the head in bipeds

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The shift during human evolution from quadrupedal locomotion in a pronograde position to bipedalism in an upright, orthograde position is associated withthe fragmentation of wooded habitats. Standing and moving in an upright posture on two legs requires a number of adaptations to maintain balance of thewhole body against the ground and also the head atop the vertebral column with minimal energetic cost. Bipedal locomotion in mammals hasindependently evolved within marsupials and rodents in addition to hominins (primates). This project will investigate the role of the redistribution of mass inthe head of bipeds to bring the centre of mass of the head closer to the vertebral axis of the body, and so aid in maintaining the balance of the head andwhole body when upright.