After a gruesome experiment on cadavers, it appears human hands were made for punching, new study revealed on Thursday. This finding completely breaks with past science experiments claiming humans evolved hands to use utensils and carry out various tasks.
- Description of the experiment
- Findings of the current experiment
Humans’ tendency to be aggressive has long been debated as this says a lot about our nature. The human race is believed to be one of the most aggressive races, considering that it has always looked to subdue other races.
David Carrier, professor at the University of Utah wanted to find the answer to this question once and for all. For this reason, he has purchased nine male cadavers from a personal supplier and went on to make experiments on them. The researcher wanted to determine how humans’ hands change when punching an object, compared to a slap.
Investigators repeatedly slapped and punched padded dumbbells to determine the evolution that humans’ hands had. The experiment has revealed that clenched fists produce 55 percent more damage than a loosely clenched palm. Moreover, using a buttressed fist, humans can obtain twice the force they normally would with a slap.
The study has revealed that our hand proportions are in keeping with our musculoskeletal anatomy and the two are adapted for fighting skills. No matter how original the experiment was, few scientists have agreed to acknowledge it mainly because they have failed to see the connection between the new findings and the hand shapes of humans.
Some theoreticians agreed that human hands are a lot shorter than those of the apes, our ancestors. Yet, this does not mean that humans are born fighters and many more studies are required to prove this hypothesis.
Other scientists have criticized the experiment saying that a slap may be just as devastating as a punch if a person knows how to use it. In their opinion, slap tests should have been performed with the palm heel as this is more powerful than a regular slap.
The general conclusion was that the new study represents a good starting point when trying to explain possible differences between humans and apes, but it is not sufficient to claim that the human race is naturally aggressive.
The current research was published in the journal of Experimental Biology. For more information on human evolution, read here.
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