14 DAY TRIAL // In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology this October 21, a team of researchers with the University of Utah propose that the shape and the anatomy of our hands evolved to their current design not just so that we could handle tools, but also so that we could get into fights and win.
Specifically, the scientists argue that hands evolved so that men could turn them into fists when need be and use them to fight each other over females. Yup, what these researchers are saying is that ancient duels over who got to keep the girl had a huge say in our basic anatomy and our evolutionary history.
“We suggest that the hand proportions that allow the formation of a fist may tell us something important about our evolutionary history and who we are as a species,” said study senior author David Carrier in a statement.
“If our anatomy is adapted for fighting, we need to be aware we always may be haunted by basic emotions and reflexive behaviors that often don't make sense - and are very dangerous - in the modern world,” he further added.
Say what you will, the fact is fists do make excellent weapons
As part of their investigation into the evolutionary history of human hands, the University of Utah research team got themselves a few cadaver arms and then used them to slap and punch dumbbells.
Their experiments revealed that a fully and perfectly clenched fist can deliver 55% more force than a slightly loose one and 200% more force than an open hand slap. Otherwise put, clenched fists are pretty much the ultimate nature-made weapons.
Then, the scientists also found evidence that, while open-fist punches and slaps place considerable strain on the hand bones and so can result in severe injuries, clenched fists protect bones from fracturing while delivering a hefty blow.
No, this does not mean we've evolved to be utter savage beasts
While their findings do suggest that human hands evolved so that we could have an easier time punching each other in the face, the University of Utah researchers wish to stress that this does not rule out the hypothesis that greater dexterity also had a say in the matter.
Rather, the scientists say our hands evolved to look and function the way they do both to allow us to swiftly pick up and handle objects, and to double as worthy allies in case of fights.
Interestingly, the research team also say that, while this is no longer the case in this day and age, there is evidence that, millennia ago, ancestors of ours like australopiths had robust faces that were especially designed to resist heavy blows without fracturing all that easily.
“The bones that suffer the highest rates of fracture in fights are the same parts of the skull that exhibited the greatest increase in robusticity during the evolution of basal hominins,” researcher David Carrier explained when discussing this issue in a study published last year.
