Can Rats Walk on Two Legs?
The first question that may cross your mind is, “Can rats walk on two legs?” The answer to this question is “yes.” But is this possible? Rats can be born with paralyzed legs, but can they walk on them? If they do, they can live a normal life.
One reason for hind-leg paralysis is arthritis. The hind legs are affected by arthritis, which is caused by the gradual wearing down of the hind-leg muscles. This causes the joints to swell around the affected area. The condition can be painful, but can be prevented by using an anti-inflammatory medication.
Another way to make a rat walk on two legs is to stimulate the spinal cord with electrical and chemical stimulation. Scientists have used these methods to help rats walk after spinal cord injury. They have also used vocal encouragement from researchers to get the rats to walk on two legs. The rats used in this experiment were made to walk on two legs while being held on a robotic harness.
Another way to study how bipedal rodents evolved is to examine the relative lengths of their hindlegs and forelegs. Bipeds may have developed long hindlegs by stretching their hindlegs relative to their forelegs. This could lead to runaway evolution in bipeds.