We walk, climb, run, dance. All of this leaves traces – not only in our memories, but also in our skeleton. Researchers have now shown that the inner structure of the tibia can reveal how a living being moves through the world. This is true for humans as well as for chimpanzees, gorillas, and other primates.
The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, the Institute of Lightweight Structures and Structural Biomechanics at TU Wien, and the University of Chicago were involved. The focus was on the lower end of the tibia at the ankle joint. More precisely, the spongy tissue inside the bone, known as spongiosa. It consists of tiny struts that form a delicate network, which adapts over time to pressure and mechanical stress..
An expanded view of our ancestors
This is where the study becomes particularly relevant for research. Fossils – the preserved remains of extinct animals and humans – often consist only of bones. Soft tissues such as muscles or skin are no longer preserved. Even so, scientists want to answer key questions: Did this species walk upright? Did it climb? The study provides an important tool for doing so. If internal bone structure reflects movement, researchers can use fossil bones to infer how long-extinct ancestors moved through their environment.
This opens up new possibilities. Well-preserved fossil bones may reveal not only what an organism looked like, but also how it lived and moved.
Original publication:
Annalisa Pietrobelli, Marine Cazenave, Alexander Synek, Sebastian Bachmann, Matthew M. Skinner, Tracy L. Kivell, Zewdi J. Tsegai; Integration of distal tibial shape and internal trabecular bone structure among catarrhine primates. Proc Biol Sci 1 April 2026.
