From walking to talking: Study explores how bipedalism sparked human communication

American scientists from the University of Florida have concluded that language and musical abilities in humans developed due to the transition to bipedalism. Walking on two legs contributed to the formation of rhythmic, musical, and linguistic abilities.

The study was published in the scientific journal Current Anthropology (CurAnthrop).

Compared to the quadrupedal movement of chimpanzees, human walking creates more rhythmic and predictable sounds. When two people walk in sync, their synchronized steps allow the brain to better distinguish useful signals from surrounding noise — for example, noticing a predator approaching in time.

The scientists suggested that those who could not adapt to this rhythm had fewer chances of survival, which reinforced the ability to perceive and create rhythmic patterns.

It is known that even in the womb, a fetus senses the rhythm of the mother's steps — about 120 beats per minute, which corresponds to the tempo of many musical works. This constant rocking stimulates hearing, balance, and proprioception (the sense of body position in space). This may explain why infants calm down when rocked — it reminds them of familiar rhythms from the prenatal period.

With the transition to bipedalism, infants lost the ability to cling to their mother's fur, as monkey infants do.

According to the researchers, this led to the appearance of "baby talk" — a special rhythmic and melodic speech used by adults to communicate with babies. This form of communication may have been a precursor to music and language.

Specialists noted that walking and running still stimulate creativity.

The study emphasizes that the evolution of human communication is closely linked to a simple yet fundamental skill — walking on two legs. Perhaps it was the rhythm of our steps that laid the foundation for music, language, and even the ability for collaborative creativity.

By Khagan Isayev