Pelvic breadth and juvenile locomotor energetics: Implications for the obstetrical dilemma hypothesis across human growth in past and present humans

Abstract

The obstetrical dilemma hypothesis (ODH) proposes an evolutionary trade-off between obstetric requirements and locomotor performance. However, whether external pelvic breadth measures influence walking energetics during human growth remains poorly understood. This study quantifies gross walking energy expenditure (WalkingEE) in juveniles and examines whether external pelvic breadth measures influence locomotor energetics during growth.