The Way You Walk Is Tied to a Hole in Your Skull

On the bottom of your skull, there is a distinctive hole. The technical name for the opening is the foramen magnum – the “great hole” that the spinal cord and other critical soft tissues run through. This bone aperture has taken on great importance in the ongoing investigation into when the human lineage split from those of other apes. If the foramen magnum indicates the position of the spine in relation to the head, and therefore whether the creature was bipedal or moved about some other way, then the position of the opening might indicate when our ancestors developed the upright, bipedal posture so often taken to be the hallmark of humanity.

Not everyone has agreed on the importance of foramen

DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.

Create your free account to continue reading

No credit card required. Unlimited access to free content.
Or get a Premium Subscription to access the best of Nat Geo - just $19
SUBSCRIBE

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet