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Human hands evolved for punching


Still Waters

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The unusual shape of the human hand appears to have evolved to make us better at punching, ghoulish study finds.

Our hands didn't evolve just so that we could use them to manipulate things, the scientists suggest, but also so that men could fight over women. They came to the finding after collecting nine cadavers and putting them through tests that involved fishing line and guitar tuner knobs.

http://www.independe...m-a6704436.html

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Well at least we did not evolve an anal mist sprayer to avert danger with a potent cloud of chocking mucus filled terror gas.

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Hahahha well I thought they might have evolved for grabbing. This sounds like a very far reach. Most human hands are far to delicate to punch with knuckles unless properly trained and conditioned. I mayself have suffered numerous boxer fractures from punching. The knuckles tend to break. The Palm rarely ever cuases a problem unless you land on it falling backwards to break your wrist. I have broken many of cinder caps with a palm strike it's much sturdier than the fist. Even the picture on the article shows how protected boxers are when punching using big 16 or 18 ounce gloves and wraps. If they diddnet those hand would be broken up for sure. Most natural untrained reactions in fighting don't even use real punches, it's more like a hammer fist. Think of an ape pounding something.

They did get one thing right though the punch delivers a lot more force when applied properly.

Honestly I think these guys are reaching. The hard human features like a large forehead and tough bones in the face may be a sexual selection trait if not for one glaring issue. All mamalion preditors have these features. The soft nose, sunken in eyes, thick eye brow ridges, and the ability to rotate the neck. These are all clearly evolved traits for the chase. Things that charge after prey with their mouths tend to run head first into things. Even humans run into things like trees and soccor goals when they are in persuit of something. A big strong forehead, caralige nose, sunken in eyes, etc etc are probably evolutionary traits to protect the eyes and brain from smacking into trees or other obsticles while we chase our food zig zagging and trying to follow.

I think these guys are way off.

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At least this sounds better than the one attributing evolving hands for picking at ticks ~ among other things

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At least this sounds better than the one attributing evolving hands for picking at ticks ~ among other things

Hahahhahaha well grooming actuallly seems legit as a social and sexual selection ability. My wife's doctor ( a brilliant woman) let me come with with her and watch while she circumcised my first son. She was sort of giddy to show me what she could do because I work with with children and she knew it.

She started by making little tiny soft circles on the top of my sons head. She gave him a small pacifier. His little eyes soon closed She then instructed me to take over. I kept up the tiny circles going from big to small on his tiny head. To my amazement, she cut away his foreskin with no anestisa. His little pacifier did start sucking fast at one point but quickly eased. I was amazed. She then shrugged at me and said when people are messing with your hair you tend to forget what's going on around you.

I have no doubt that grooming ( picking ticks, lice, and flees) is part of our evolution. Maybe that's why we get along so well with dogs and cats. They groom each other as well.

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I've no doubt that hands evolved towards making a proper fist, however, to go from there to claiming that the purpose of a fist is primarily to punch with, I do find that a bit of a stretch.

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Hahahhahaha well grooming actuallly seems legit as a social and sexual selection ability. My wife's doctor ( a brilliant woman) let me come with with her and watch while she circumcised my first son. She was sort of giddy to show me what she could do because I work with with children and she knew it.

She started by making little tiny soft circles on the top of my sons head. She gave him a small pacifier. His little eyes soon closed She then instructed me to take over. I kept up the tiny circles going from big to small on his tiny head. To my amazement, she cut away his foreskin with no anestisa. His little pacifier did start sucking fast at one point but quickly eased. I was amazed. She then shrugged at me and said when people are messing with your hair you tend to forget what's going on around you.

I have no doubt that grooming ( picking ticks, lice, and flees) is part of our evolution. Maybe that's why we get along so well with dogs and cats. They groom each other as well.

There is another similar trick that involves the ears ;)

~

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There is another similar trick that involves the ears ;)

~

Oh I know. I myself am an ear man. :devil: :devil:

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It can do brain surgery and complete a work of art. The human hand is a work of art in and of itself. There is no better adapted tool, that can manufacture tools. Our brain and our hands working togeher.

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It can do brain surgery and complete a work of art. The human hand is a work of art in and of itself. There is no better adapted tool, that can manufacture tools. Our brain and our hands working togeher.

Well true it can do brain surgery, but only after years of training. The human hand functions fairly well, as multi-purpose compromise tools go. I think it well to avoid rhapsodizing about the human body -- there are a lot of things wrong with it, as its propensity to injure itself well testifies. We were put together as a bunch of compromises between various possible functions, both current and ancient.

I've no doubt that hands evolved towards making a proper fist, however, to go from there to claiming that the purpose of a fist is primarily to punch with, I do find that a bit of a stretch.

It seems to me the most likely purpose.
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It seems to me the most likely purpose.

Agree - for example - if I were to be attacked by some kind of hairy predator - and I had no weapon (knife, stick, car keys or gun) to defend myself.

Instinctively I would 'punch' (closed fists) rather than slap the beast. - even if I were to come out second best.

So basically - the evolved closed human fist - was more than likely given for defending one self.

Also - a fist can hold onto things tightly or loosely - and bang or thump to make noise (not using the knuckles of course)

Like this -

download%2011_zpss5p2bgwb.jpg

Edited by Astra-
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Human hands were designed to make tools and for grabbing, climbing and picking.

If this ridiculous idea was simply for punching then humans would have massive round bulbous blubbed fingers, shorter arms with very thick wrists.

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Agree - for example - if I were to be attacked by some kind of hairy predator - and I had no weapon (knife, stick, car keys or gun) to defend myself.

Instinctively I would 'punch' (closed fists) rather than slap the beast. - even if I were to come out second best.

Sure. Now. After millenia of evolution has given you a bony fist with which to do so.

But say you still have a decent fur covering, a strong jaw, and strong tearing teeth, as well as arms that see as much heady-duty use as your legs?

I think, at that point, the most likely defense is to grab hold tightly and sink your teeth into the enemy. Much like small children are wont to do, the darling little apes.

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Human hands were designed to make tools and for grabbing, climbing and picking.

If this ridiculous idea was simply for punching then humans would have massive round bulbous blubbed fingers, shorter arms with very thick wrists.

You haven't been paying much attention to the discussion is the only think I can conclude from this. Yes we know human hands are good for grasping and climbing and picking. Such is the way with almost all primates. The thing is, we don't have the very long fingers of most primates, but have just the right hand for making a fist. That's because we gave up swinging in the trees and grasping fruit for a different life.
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Human hands were designed to make tools and for grabbing, climbing and picking.

If this ridiculous idea was simply for punching then humans would have massive round bulbous blubbed fingers, shorter arms with very thick wrists.

Sure Regina - our hands are amazing - in fact the human body in general - and what it is able to do is awesome.

Clenching our fists to be able to punch etc....is just one other thing that our hands can do - speaking in line of course - of what the thread was about.

Evolution has chiseled us well I think :)

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Sure. Now. After millenia of evolution has given you a bony fist with which to do so.

Yeah...

But say you still have a decent fur covering, a strong jaw, and strong tearing teeth, as well as arms that see as much heady-duty use as your legs?

Sure - but I don't have fur covering - a strong jaw - and tearing teeth etc....that would be my hairy predator attacking me.

I think, at that point, the most likely defense is to grab hold tightly and sink your teeth into the enemy. Much like small children are wont to do, the darling little apes.

Well a1 - if I'm following you correctly here - my teeth wouldn't do me much good if the beast were a Gorilla or a bear.

I'd probably still clench my fists - punch it - struggle like hell - try and knee it - before it sinks it's teeth into me - and shreds me apart with it's claws.

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The evolution of a hand better adapted for holding/gripping tools would have a secondary consequence of a hand better adapted to forming a fist - however, that doesn't mean the hand "evolved to be better for punching". This study unfortunately has too narrow a focus and so has led those who undertook it to an erroneous conclusion.

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Read no further than the headline but...

Utter rubbish.

They are meant for gripping. Here's the deal I'll let you use your fists.

I'll use a three foot by one inch diameter stick in one hand and a handy rounded rock in the other.

Care to take me on?

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Not the opposable thumbs they're not ... :D

~

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Yeah...

Sure - but I don't have fur covering - a strong jaw - and tearing teeth etc....that would be my hairy predator attacking me.

Well a1 - if I'm following you correctly here - my teeth wouldn't do me much good if the beast were a Gorilla or a bear.

I'd probably still clench my fists - punch it - struggle like hell - try and knee it - before it sinks it's teeth into me - and shreds me apart with it's claws.

I'm not sure you are clear on just how long ago this evolutionary change was taking place.

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I'm not sure you are clear on just how long ago this evolutionary change was taking place.

aquatus - I'm talking currently - as in how we have evolved to the point of what we are now - as far as evolution goes.

I understand that it took eons to change and evolve to what we (humans) have become today.

We can do much with our hands - not only make fists.

As with our feet also - they are not just for standing / walking / running. We can also kick @** when we have to :innocent:

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aquatus - I'm talking currently - as in how we have evolved to the point of what we are now - as far as evolution goes.

Well, there's your problem right there. Neither the post I was responding to nor my response were referring to the present.

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This study makes little sense to me and as someone who has punched and teaches others to punch for a living i must call BS on this one!

The fist is just the end point of coiled up energy,what the rest of the body does when throwing a proper powerfull punch is much more evolved and interesting...I mean hell a proper punch uses much more of the legs and core than the upper body and arms,really all the hands should do is rotate at the wrist right before impact.

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