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http://neurosciencenews.com/evolution-hands-fighting-2917/
"As an alternative, 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," Carrier adds. "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," says biology Professor David Carrier.
Carrier and his collaborators not only have argued our hands evolved partly for punching but that the faces of human ancestors, the australopiths, evolved to resist punching – and that human faces became more delicate as our violence became less dependent on brute force. The new study sought more experimental evidence for his theory using nine male cadaver arms purchased from the university's body donor program and from a private supply company.
Shoryuken!
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Monday October 26 2015, @04:08PM
It's not just gloves. Boxers and martial artists also wrap their hands to further protect them. Helps support the wrist and keep them straight.
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Monday October 26 2015, @04:53PM
Right, and runners wear shoes, but that isn't compelling evidence that our feet didn't evolve for running.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 26 2015, @05:27PM
Funny how you are pushing everyone else to prove a negative when ignoring that you need to prove your point as well. So prove it.
(Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Monday October 26 2015, @08:49PM
Christopher McDougall's Born to Run [wikipedia.org] contains some evidence that barefoot running is the natural way to run. Minimal, light, sandal-type foot wear is the way to go. In fact, McDougall puts forward the hypothesis that running shoes are the cause of running-related injuries even though they're sold as the cure.
Just to see if we can get enough anecdotal evidence in here to amount to data, I'll concur that wrist injuries are the result of bad form, at least when connecting with another squishy human. I wouldn't doubt that an untrained man in a drunken bar fight would be at risk for bad form and thus wrist injuries.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 26 2015, @09:03PM
Breaking hand bones and spraining your wrist are rather different things.