Dr. Stephanie Baumgart, a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Schachner Lab in the Department of Physiological Sciences here at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, recently co-authored a groundbreaking international study published in Nature. Led by Harvard researchers Drs. Gayani Senevirathne and Terence Capellini, the study uncovers two key evolutionary changes that transformed the primate hip—originally adapted for walking on all fours—into the structure that supports upright walking in humans.
Using advanced techniques including CT scanning, single-cell sequencing, and comparative genomics, the team identified two major shifts in human hip development: a 90-degree reorientation of primary ossification and a delayed ossification of the iliac region. These changes result in a short, wide pelvis ideal for bipedal locomotion. The study also highlights the role of three key genes—SOX9, PTH1R, and RUNX2—in regulating these developmental processes, offering insights into both evolution and skeletal disease.
Read the full article here: The evolution of hominin bipedalism in two steps | Nature
Figure 5b-d from Senevirathne et al. 2025: b) 3D anatomical models of the developing human hip ossification and origins of associated muscles rendered by Dr. Stephanie Baumgart; c) UMAP of WNN for multiomics data from human ilium plus soft tissue; d) H&E staining of a transverse section across E59 human ilium (n = 2).
