Pre-reptile first to walk on all fours?

Finally, there is the the fact that the ulna is longer than the humerus, a notable trait seen in most upright walkers. Their limbs were extended out from the side of their bodies and they used their spines to push themselves ahead just like reptiles today.

A cow-like reptile that may have been one of nature’s ugliest beasts roamed an isolated desert before the age of the dinosaurs.

The creature in this case is called Bunostegos akokanensis.

Turner said she wouldn’t be surprised if similarities were found between Bunostegos akokanensis’ posture and other animals’ of the same time period.

It might be that Bunostegos akokanensis was quite a sight, what with its oversized body and its bony armor, but it’s not its looks that paleontologists are quite fascinated with.

Well, either this or at least it’s the oldest creature known to walk upright on all its fours limbs thus far documented by science, specialists explain in their report in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. That is unique’. Initial research seemed to indicate that the Bunostegos would also have short and wide-spread forearms, yet examination of its forelimbs yielded an entirely different conclusion: The animal stood differently from its counterparts. It would restrict the humerus from sticking out to the side. These bones helped scientists discover that the Bunostegos was not a sprawler.

Then there is the elbow joint. The first of these is the shoulder joint, which faced down in a way that the humerus would be vertically oriented underneath.

The next clue is the elbow joint, which only would swing in a back-and-forth direction like a human knee. Its humerus was unable to twist, a necessity for sprawlers.

Pictured are the bones that revealed the creature couldn’t sprawl.

Bunostegos stood in another way than all the remaining, with the legs exclusively beneath the physique, she stated.

Turner said part of the reason was that this pre-reptile was an outlier in its choice of habitat and that walking might have been a way to adapt to the harsh environment at the time.

For the lengthy journeys between meals, Turner stated, the upright posture may need been crucial for survival.

According to the release, the Bunostegos’s posture suggests that it was an outlier. The features and elements of the forelimb bones of the Bunostegos do not allow a sprawling posture.

Scientists said many complexities exist about the evolution of locomotion and posture and each day work is being done to better understand that.