ABSTRACT
The lower limbs are discussed in an evolutionary perspective. The development of these appendages is analyzed based on their phylogeny and its ontogenetic implications. The abandonment of the waters, as a metaphor, is utilized as a parallel to the process of acquisition and development of consciousness, having in mind the different forms of locomotion. In the evolutionary scale, walking based on a four-limb support and reaching the one-limb stand are symbolically associated with the development of consciousness.
