Research
Humans evolved to travel over a vast diversity of natural terrains, but little is known about how such terrains affect the biomechanics and energetics of human locomotion, or how the body could be adapted to deal with the challenges these terrains pose.
The Hominin Movement Lab is conducting field-based research on movement in natural environments using inertial measurement units and portable respirometry. We are currently pursuing fieldwork in Peninsular Malaysia with Orang Asli communities to understand how humans are able to move through challenging terrains, such as rainforests, for their livelihood. With this research we hope to understand both musculoskeletal adaptations for locomotion in natural environments, as well as how the energetic costs of moving in these environments affect human ecology.
Holowka, N. B., Kraft, T. S., Wallace, I. J., Gurven, M., & Venkataraman, V. V. (2022). Forest terrains influence walking kinematics among indigenous Tsimane of the Bolivian Amazon. Evolutionary Human Sciences, 4, e19. DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2022.13
The evolution of bipedalism in hominins introduced a novel challenge: stabilizing the body and maintaining balance with just two limbs during walking and running. Kinesiological research has identified different strategies that humans use to maintain balance during locomotion, including using joints of the ankle to help keep the body positioned over the supporting foot.
Our research focuses on the evolution of the ankle joint and its role in balance and stability. One component of this research uses experimental gait biomechanics methods to understand how humans use their ankles to maintain balance on complex terrains. The second component explores ankle joint morphology to identify functional adaptations related to bipedal stability. We are also examining trabecular bone morphology in the tarsal bones of non-human primates, fossil hominins, and modern humans to investigate the extent to which bipedal adaptations associated ankle stability can be determined from skeletal remains.
Apolito, Z. M., Palmisano, K. G., & Holowka, N. B. (2025). The adaptive function of the human ankle joint complex during walking on uneven terrains with implications for hominin locomotion. Journal of Human Evolution, 203, 103678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103678
The foot is among the features of the human body that displays the most radical adaptations for bipedal locomotion. We are investigating the adaptive functions of specific features, including the foot’s longitudinal arch and testing various models of arch function by comparing foot biomechanics in humans and chimpanzees. The Hominin Movement Lab is conducting experiments and developing musculoskeletal models to better understand intrinsic foot kinetics and muscle activation in these species.
These models will allow us to refine functional interpretations of specific skeletal features, explore previously intractable questions about soft tissue function in primate feet, and ultimately simulate locomotion in fossil hominins. This research will also have important implications for understanding foot pathology and gait disorders.
