protection from predators or other humans; it makes long-distance travel more efficient for foraging or hunting; and it facilitates terrestrial feeding from grasses, trees, and bushes. given the many benefits of bipedality which depends on a particularly formed spine, it is likely that selection for bipedalism played a large role in the development of the spine as we see it today, in spite of the potential for "scoliotic deviations". according to the fossil record, scoliosis may have been more prevalent among earlier hominids such as australopithecus and homo erectus, when bipedality was first emerging. their fossils indicate that there may have been selected over time for a slight reduction in lumbar length to what we see today, favouring a spine that could efficiently support bipedality with a lower risk of scoliosis. society and culture the cost of scoliosis involves both monetary losses and lifestyle limitations that increase with severity. respiratory deficiencies may also arise from thoracic deformities and cause abnormal breathing. this directly affects exercise and work capacity, decreasing the overall quality of life. in the health care system of the united states, the average hospital cost for cases involving surgical procedures was $30,000 to $60,000 per person in 2010. as of 2006, the cost of bracing has been published as up to $5,000 during rapid growth periods, when braces must be consistently replaced across multiple follow-ups. research genetic testing for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, which became available in 2009 and is still under investigation, attempts to gauge the likelihood of curve progression.