Neanderthals Didn’t Use Their Thumbs Like We Do, New Research Suggests
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Runaway1956:
Neanderthals Didn't Use Their Thumbs Like We Do, New Research Suggests:
An analysis of Neanderthal hand bones suggests these extinct humans possessed thumbs better suited for power grips, as opposed to precision grips, which could mean they used their hands differently than we do.
Researchers have found key physical differences in the thumbs of Neanderthals and modern humans (Homo sapiens), which suggests the two species used their hands in different ways. The finding, as described in Scientific Reports, potentially speaks to behavioral differences in the two species, though this could be tough to prove.
[...] "If you were to shake a Neanderthal hand you would notice this difference," Ameline Bardo, a postdoctoral research associate from the School of Anthropology and Conservation at the University of Kent, explained in an email. "There would be confusion over where to place the thumb, and for a thumb fight I think you would win in terms of speed and movement."
Good to know.
Journal Reference:
Ameline Bardo, Marie-Helene Moncel, Christopher J. Dunmore, et al. The implications of thumb movements for Neanderthal and modern human manipulation [open], Scientific Reports (DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75694-2)
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