Walking has taken a very long time to develop, with evidence of bipedalism among early humans in Africa roughly 4.4 million years ago.

The transition from four-legged locomotion to walking upright on two legs marks a pivotal moment in human history, one that set the course for modern humans. The origins of walking date back millions of years, a testament to its deep-seated role in our evolutionary history.

Our ape ancestors began walking upright around 6 million years ago, but it wasn't until the emergence of Homo erectus around 1.9 million years ago that they evolved long legs and started walking as we do. Our ancestors' anatomy underwent several changes on the road to true bipedalism.

Homo erectus was the first to have the long legs and shorter arms that would have made it possible to walk, run and move about Earth’s landscapes as we do today.

From the earliest hominids taking tentative steps to the complex bipedalism of modern humans, our ability to walk has shaped our evolution and society. Exploring archaeological findings, fossil records, and evolutionary theories, we gain insights into the development of our unique walking abilities.