{
  "id": 8391700,
  "title": "Modern human men evolved unique hip 'spring' for efficient walking, Israeli-led study finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/modern-human-men-evolved-unique-hip-spring-for-efficient-walking",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-19T06:06:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/science/article-908948"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "An Israeli-led study has revealed that modern human men possess a unique hip geometry, enabling efficient walking, while Neanderthals and women share an older, ancestral blueprint. Prof. Yoel Rak of Tel Aviv University led the research, which compared Neanderthal and modern human pelvises. The team found that while Neanderthal pelvises resembled those of modern human females in most measurements, the modern male pelvis underwent significant evolutionary changes. These changes position the hip joints farther forward in males, creating a built-in shock-absorbing mechanism that stores potential energy in thigh muscles. This energy is released with each step, effectively \"springing\" the body upward and facilitating long-distance walking. The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, challenges previous assumptions about Neanderthal pelvis anatomy, suggesting that the modern male pelvis is the evolutionary innovation, not the Neanderthal pelvis. The findings also explain some of the sexual dimorphism observed in human anatomy.",
  "summary": "A new Tel Aviv University study challenges assumptions about the Neanderthal pelvis, finding that modern human males evolved a distinct walking mechanism.",
  "key_points": [
    "Israeli-led study finds unique hip geometry in modern human men",
    "Neanderthals and women share older ancestral pelvis blueprint",
    "Forward hip positioning creates shock-absorbing mechanism for efficient walking"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The discovery that modern human men have a unique hip geometry for efficient walking distinguishes their anatomy from that of Neanderthals and women, implying a sex-specific evolutionary adaptation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}