The study goes hand-in-hand with another theory on human evolution. Last year, the same scientist proposed that the human skull was specifically designed to take a punch. That said, the theory has been unsurprisingly controversial, with other scientists proposing that the the correlation is not necessarily causation.
Other scientists believe that the shape of the human head became less able to sustain impact with evolution, given the smaller jaw and brow in comparison to monkeys. “What I find most objectionable is that this type of research does a disservice to the general public by supplying a very wrong understanding of human biology, and more generally, human evolution,” said an opposing scientist. The change in shape also could have been related to a multitude of other things, foremost among them a shift in the dietary habits of early humans.
The human hand also lets us make and use tools.
The change in the hands could be something similar. While a clenched fist is great for punching, it is perhaps more likely that human hands evolved in a direction that allowed them to better craft and utilize tools.
At the very least, however, this proved one thing. The best way to strike people with the hands is, indeed, with a clenched fist. So brush up on your technique, people!
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