A photo from open sources
Contrary to popular belief, human hands represent a much more primitive anatomical structure than arms chimpanzees.
Thanks to the ability of human hands to grace more gracefully and manipulate objects, one would suggest that our hands have traveled a much larger evolutionary path than chimpanzee hands or any other primate. However, according to the new studies, it turned out that the proportions and shape of human hands not much different from the proportions of the hands of our distant common ancestor, while the chimpanzee’s hands have undergone more substantial changes.
Scientists believe that the findings suggest that the structure of the hands of modern man is more primitive character than the structure of the hands of a modern chimpanzee. Moreover, the changes that occurred, as it turned out, are not the result evolutionary development, which (as many believed) was it is necessary for man to transition from a wild state into an era stone age. In other words, its characteristic human appearance the hand acquired even before our ancient ancestors learned it use.
Anthropologists say that since the separation of people from our ancients predecessors who in evolution have just diverged from chimpanzees, the most significant changes to the brush human hand – these are changes to the thumb that has become longer, nimble and flexible. Most likely, these anatomical changes are directly related to the appearance of upright hominids, which appeared on the eve of the Stone Age.
However, the results of the study do not mean that the structure of our hands is somewhat or unfavorably different from the structure of the hands chimpanzees. For example, chimpanzees cannot clench their fists, hammer nails playing musical instruments. At the same time, the form chimpanzee hands helps them climb trees perfectly, prey food, take care of the cubs.
Time Evolution
