A new study reveals that human fists are evolved for fighting, after researchers examined arms and fists of human corpses.
Scientists utilized real cadaver arms to punch and slap padded dumbbells for this new study to extract evidence to prove how humans especially the male species are wired mentally and physically born to fight using their fists.
According to lead author of the study, David Carrier from the University of Utah, the idea behind this study is to prove how the evolution of the human hand led to aggressive behavior. He adds that skeptics still suggest that the human fist is mainly used for manual dexterity.
He explains this fist fighting theory as an alternative use, where hand proportions allow the formation of the fist over time, that provides clues about the evolution of the human body as a species. He also adds that if the human anatomy is really developed for fighting, then this can explain how basic human emotions and reflexive fighting behavior are now very dangerous in modern times since they often do not make any sense.
During the experiments, the team used nine male cadaver arms where they tested this hypothesis how a clenched fist protects the metacarpal bones located in the palm of the hand, from injury and fracture, by lessening the strain during a strong punch.
The cadaver arms where then placed in a pendulum-like device where the arms could swing in a forward motion, to punch the padded dumbbell, to detect how much force it receives.
Carrier says that metacarpals are bones that break most often and not even the finger bones. For example, when males get mad and punch walls or other opponents during a fight, the bones that break instantly and most often are the metacarpals inside the palms.
Scientists used two fist positions, a clenched one and an unclenched one where during the experiments, the arms are also allowed to side slap the target with an open hand. After more than 100 hundred punches and slaps using eight arms, the researchers determined that humans can safely strike or punch with a clenched fist, 55 percent with more force as opposed to an unclenched one.
This new study sheds light how aggressive behavior played a crucial role in human evolution where the history of how fists are utilized during fights in many human cultures, even the prehistoric ones, are still relevant today.
This new study is published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.