HANDS & EVOLUTION – What if… Cats had Opposable Thumbs?
June 13, 2011
Okay, you probably know that the human opposable thumb plays a significant role in the fact that human kind is ruling the world. But what if cats had opposable thumbs? Would they let us live in peace, or would we be welcoming our new cat overlords?
Cravendale Milk shows us one possible vision of the thumb-catted future in a new ad where thumbcat thugs try to roll humans for cartons of milk.
The video ‘Evolution of the human hand’ - presents a detailed picture of how modern science perceives the evolution of the human hand in time. The video is sort of based on Darwin’s evolution theory, but the details were delevered by experts in anthropology who studied how the hand shape, finger length & palmar creases evolved during the past 1.8 million years.
The video demonstrates how the ‘early’ humanoid hands (and primates) are typically featured with 3 or more ‘complete transverse creases’ (multiple simian lines), which are positioned horizontal in the hand + two major vertical lines. While at the end of the video displays a typical human hand featured with only 2 curved, oblique positioned ‘primary palmar creases’ (heart line and head line) + one major vertical line (life line).
And the differences between the human hand and the hands of primates served as a model for the evolution of the human hand in time - see below the hands of a man compared to the hands of a baboon, orangutang & chimpanzee.
Many other fascinating details about the evolution of the human hand are described in the work of physician John Napier, titled: ‘Hands‘.
Another important figure in the history of medical science was the Scottish surgeon John Hunter, who turned the attention of science from the structure of hands to it’s function:
“Structure is the intimate expression of function”
- John Hunter, Scottish surgeon (1728-1793) -
More details about the evolution of other features of the human hand are presented in the articles:
1) The evolution & mystery of the five fingers
2) The history & evolution of the palmar lines
The hand of early hominids (30.000 years old).
The hand of Neanderthals (300.000 years old).
The hand of 'Ardi' (4.4 million years old).
Stone tools influenced hand evolution in human ancestors.
KENT, MARCH 2011 - New research from anthropologists at the University of Kent has confirmed Charles Darwin’s speculation that the evolution of unique features in the human hand was influenced by increased tool use in our ancestors.
Research over the last century has certainly confirmed the existence of a suite of features in the bones and musculature of the human hand and wrist associated with specific gripping and manipulatory capabilities that are different from those of other extant great apes. These features have fuelled suggestions that, at some point since humans split from the last common ancestor of living apes, the human hand evolved away from features adapted for locomotion toward alternative functions.
Now, researchers Dr Stephen Lycett and Alastair Key have shown that the hands of our ancestors may have been subject to natural selection as a result of using simple cutting tools. In a series of experiments that used stone flakes similar to those known from Africa around 2.6 million years ago, they analysed whether variation in the hand size of individual tool users reflects differences that affect the efficiency of these simple tools to cut through a rope.
Their results, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, show that ‘biometric’ variation did indeed result in a significant relationship with cutting efficiency in the experimental task.
Hands holding stones: dexterity of the wrist joints, of the hands and fingers, enabled early humans to create and use stone tools - which had an important rule in the evolution of human civilization.
Dr Lycett, Senior Lecturer in Human Evolution at the University’s School of Anthropology and Conservation, explained: ’140 years ago, writing from his home at Down House in Kent, Darwin proposed that the use of stone tools may have influenced the evolution of human hands.
‘Our research suggests that he was correct. From a very early stage in our evolution, the cultural behaviour of our ancestors was influencing biological evolution in specific ways.’
Scientists simulated the change of the primate hand into the human hand.
Scientists may have solved the mystery of how human hands became nimble enough to make and manipulate stone tools.
The team reports in the journal Evolution that changes in our hands and fingers were a side-effect of changes in the shape of our feet.
This, they say, shows that the capacity to stand and walk on two feet is intrinsically linked to the emergence of stone tool technology.
The scientists used a mathematical model to simulate the changes.
Other researchers, though, have questioned this approach.
Campbell Rolian, a scientist from the University of Calgary in Canada who led the study, said: “This goes back to Darwin’s The Descent of Man.
“[Charles Darwin] was among the first to consider the relationship between stone tool technology and bipedalism.”
“His idea was that they were separate events and they happened sequentially – that bipedalism freed the hand to evolve for other purposes.”
“What we showed was that the changes in the hand and foot are similar developments… and changes in one would have side-effects manifesting in the other.”
Shape-shifting
To study this, Dr Rolian and his colleagues took measurements from the hands and feet of humans and of chimpanzees.
Their aim was to find out how the hands and feet of our more chimp-like ancestors would have evolved.
The researchers’ measurements showed a strong correlation between similar parts of the hand and foot. “So, if you have a long big toe, you tend have a long thumb,” Dr Rolian explained.
“One reason fingers and toes may be so strongly correlated is that they share a similar genetic and developmental ‘blueprint’, and small changes to this blueprint can affect the hand and foot in parallel,” he said.
With this anatomical data, the researchers were able to create their mathematical simulation of evolutionary change.
“We used the mathematical model to simulate the evolutionary pressures on the hands and feet,” Dr Rolian explained.
This model essentially adjusted the shape of the hands or the feet, recreating single, small evolutionary changes to see what effect they had.
By simulating this evolutionary shape-shifting, the team found that changes in the feet caused parallel changes in the hands, especially in the relative proportions of the fingers and toes.
These parallel changes or side-effects, said Dr Rolian, may have been an important evolutionary stem that allowed human ancestors, including Neanderthals, to develop the dexterity for stone tool technology.
Robin Crompton, professor of anatomy at the UK’s Liverpool University, said the study was very interesting but also raised some questions.
“I am not personally convinced that the foot and hand of chimpanzees are a good model [of human ancestors' hands and feet] – the foot of the lowland gorilla may be more interesting in this respect,” he told BBC News.
He pointed out that there was a lot more to the functional shape and biomechanics of the human foot than just its proportions.
Paul O’Higgins, professor of anatomy at the Hull York Medical School, UK, said: “The results are quite exciting and will doubtless spur further testing and additional work.”
Foot provides clue to the evolution of human hand!
April 28, 2010
Is the mystery about the evolution of the human hand solved? • What did Charles Darwin say about hands & feet? Scientists from Canada may have solved the mystery of how human hands became nimble enough to make and manipulate stone tools – it may be a side-effect of evolutionary changes in our feet! A BBC report describes that the discussion continues – for other scientists now question the mathematical model which was used to simulate the changes between the hands & feet of chimpanzees and humans. Campbell Rolian, a scientist from the University of Calgary described:
“His idea was that they were separate events and they happened sequentially – that bipedalism freed the hand to evolve for other purposes.” “What we showed was that the changes in the hand and foot are similar developments… and changes in one would have side-effects manifesting in the other.” “So, if you have a long big toe, you tend have a long thumb.” “One reason fingers and toes may be so strongly correlated is that they share a similar genetic and developmental ‘blueprint’, and small changes to this blueprint can affect the hand and foot in parallel. We used the mathematical model to simulate the evolutionary pressures on the hands and feet.” SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: The primate foot & the human foot. |
“This goes back to Darwin’s The Descent of Man. “[Charles Darwin] was among the first to consider the relationship between stone tool technology and bipedalism.”
CHARLES DARWIN HAD THE LONG FOREFINGER! Charles Darwin’s voyage of the HMS Beagle (1831-1836) is known as the most important journey around the world ever made. For, during that the famous trip Darwin gained knowledge and insights that has changed the perception of human kind about the image of life on Earth dramatically. On September 1, 2009 the “clipper Stad Amsterdam” left on a trip around the world, in the wake of Charles Darwin (1809-1882). During the 2009 journey researchers investigate many aspects of Darwin’s work and life. Evolutionary psychology professor Bram Buunk – who is involved in finger length research – studied Darwin’s finger length! Jealousy in Montevideo: Men and women have different reasons for jealousy, Buunk discovered in the seventies. Men are jealous because they do not want their female fertilized by another man – a genetic cuckoo – and for the dissemination of its genes on to run. Women are jealous because they do not want their husband’s attention spread over several partners, but exclusively focuses on her and her children. Bram Buunk and his colleagues have discovered a link between the susceptibility to become jealousy, and the ratio of the length of index fingers and ring fingers. The story is now more or less known: if the index finger (a.k.a. the ‘pointer finger’ or ‘forefinger’) is relatively longer than the ring finger, the individual, regardless of sexe, has sort of a ‘female character’. Conversely, human males usually have a relatively long ring finger, usually the ring finger is longer than the index finger (while in human females the both fingers often have the same length). The link could be traced back to an evolutionary coincidence. For, the same chemical cocktail during the embryonic development of the brains in the direction of the correct gender sends, plays a role in cutting the fingers of the hand embryonic plate.
Buunk also studied Darwin’s fingers:
“The conclusion is obvious: Charles Darwin was a man with a strong feminine disposition! That may explain a lot: his gentleness, his highly developed social and diplomatic skills, his easy survival during the cooperation with Fitzroy – who was known to be a ‘difficult’ man (likely, a man with a long ring finger), his care for his family, and his concern for the consequences of the publication of his ‘theory of evolution’ on society in general and the welfare of his family in particular.” SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER READING: |
The primate hands family tree shows how dominant behavior in primates can be linked with hand structure. For example, gorillas & baboons are known to belong to the most dominant/aggressive primate species and both species have a hand structure that is different from other primate species!
It is rather fascinating to see that both species (gorilla + baboon) actually have a hand structure that reminds us of the typical hand differences seen between males and females, incuding: short fingers, broad palms & a low 2D:4D digit ratio.
These biological & evolutionary patterns appear to explain why in nearly all primate species males tend to dominate females. Except for the bonobos of course, females tend to collectively dominate males by forming alliances and use sexuality to control males – interestingly, a few years ago a study reported that bonobos have a rather human-like 2D:4D digit ratio (close to 0.94)… which is illustrative for their rather high emotional intelligence. The Bonobo-society has been described as ‘extraordinarily peacefull’.
This illustrates that Sir Charles Bell was very right about the hand representing capacity, and modern science has still a long way to go in order to understand properly how the structure of the hand corresponds with behavior!
More details:
http://www.handresearch.com/news/primatology-palm-reading-primate-hands-family-tree.htm
Did the human hand shape evolve for fighting?
December 21, 2012
A new study from the University of Utah suggests that the size and shape of the human hand may have evolved for fighting… with bare fists!
Human hands built the Taj Mahal and adorned the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with glorious art – but they also evolved for fighting, according to a new theory.
New evidence suggests it was not just dexterity that shaped the human hand, violence may have been involved also. The scientist claim that hands may have evolved through natural selection to form a punching fist:
“The role aggression has played in our evolution has not been adequately appreciated,” said Professor David Carrier, from the University of Utah.
FULL STORY: The Telegraph
HANDS – An impression from the Wellcome Collection ‘hands-event’!
December 3, 2010
An impression from the Wellcome Collection hands-event in London!
Hands….where would we be without them?
At november 26 the Wellcome Collection in Lond presented their ‘hands’-event. Tabitha Langton-Lockton was one of the participants in the event and she wrote an impressive review:
Can you imagine a society without hands? Frankly, no. For this would mean a world without Twitter, Facebook and YouTube; heavens forbid a world without art and literature, for how would we paint, write and type?
The Wellcome Collection plays host to an event, ‘Hands’, celebrating these odd looking appendages with an evening of music, magic and science. In the foyer visitors play the piano and pinball machine whilst waiting for the main event to open. Gigantic cardboard hands loom by the entrance and people animatedly express themselves with their hands as they queued for the ticketed events. Hands are everywhere.
A talk by Chris McManus takes place in the auditorium. Accompanied by a British Sign Language interpreter, McManus explains the science that differs between the left and right-handed. As a right-handed individual, I was disappointed to find out that all ‘lefties’ were not in fact evil as I had previously been led to believe. A later talk by the evolution expert Christophe Soligo explains how hands have developed and changed over time. Both talks are educational and thought-provoking.
The wonder of hands continues to be celebrated on all floors. Climbing the stairs, white-gloved men greet visitors with a shake of the hand and subtly (but unsuccessfully) try to place a sticker on their arms without them noticing.
On the first floor, areas dedicated to the event could be found whilst wandering around the current exhibitions. The Nail Bar proves popular with the ladies (although I did spy a suited man waiting patiently for his turn) whilst the prosthetics and medical tools appeal more to the gruesome individuals.
A neuroscientist asks me to place my right hand inside a black box and look at a rubber hand. He then proceeded to poke and stroke me resulting in my questioning my senses and walking away feeling distinctly confused. Had he been poking my hand or the rubbery hand?
Turning a corner I found what I was looking for – the palmistry section. After having my palms read by an amateur reader from the Collection library I plucked up the courage to ask if he could see children in my future. “I think that you might have two”. “Damn” I muttered, “I was hoping for at least three”.
The second floor becomes a surgery for the evening. Here, surgeons from Imperial College perform the art of stitching a wound, whilst showing the crowd how hands save lives. Visitors were able to try their hands at surgery and to see for themselves just how steady the hand must be to perform operations.
‘Hands’ shows the visitor just how essential they are in everyday life. The evening appealed to all ages and amused and educated its audience.
• Famous stories about strang hands: Charles Darwin
• The Wellcome Collection presents their HANDS-event (official announcement)
LONDON NOV 26: Welcome Collection presents ‘Hands’ event!
November 20, 2010
Hands event at 'Welcome Collection' (Nov 26, London)
At November 26 the ‘Welcome Collection’ in London presents their ‘Hands’ event! How would our society look like without any hands? We sense, create and communicate with our hands. A social event for the incurably curious and celebrate these vital parts of our bodies across four floors of Wellcome Collection!!
From medicine to mesmerism, magic to mannerisms, visitors will find out about the curious history of digits, palms, fingers and thumbs, and put their own to use, as we celebrate the organs that shape the world around us. We will have scientists, artists, palmists and magicians at hand for discussions, performances and, of course, hands-on activities, all designed to make us look afresh at our body. ‘Manipulate’, ‘manoeuvre’ and ‘manufacture’ are all words deriving from the Latin word ‘manus’, meaning hand. These creative appendages allow us to make, touch and feel, but they also hold mystical and cultural significance. For one night only, visitors can explore a digital age that goes back millennia.
INCLUDING:
• Revel in the mystery of hands with palmistry and neuroscience illusions.
• Try out some nail art.
• Get dexterous with games and computers from different ages – and paper, scissors, stone.
• Enjoy an installation produced by young people from HCA, Coram’s Fields, KCBNA and artist Elaine Duigenan.
• Try out some surgeon’s tools, and see how steady your hands are.
• Explore the wonders of handwriting in the Wellcome Library, and meet a palaeographer and a graphologist.
• Play a piano and see your digits up close.
• Enjoy the physical theatre performance of The Articulate Hand with Andrew Dawson. Performances start at 20.00 and 21.45. Tickets are available on the night of the event only.
• Hear from evolution expert Christophe Soligo on the difference between the hands of apes and humans. Tickets are available on the night of the event only.
• Chris McManus will uncover the science of left and right handedness. Tickets are available on the night of the event only.
LOCATION: 183 Euston Road, London (nov 26, 19:00 – 23:00)
It’s a FREE event, so anyone can drop in anytime!!
A discussion about more details of this ‘hands’ event is available at the Modern Hand Reading Forum.
Finger length & penis size linked!
The hands of Barack Obama
Megan Fox thumbs – TRIBUTE
Hrithik Roshan thumbs – TRIBUTE
Hand Reading Research!
MultiPerspective Palm Reading
