%0 Journal Article
%T Early Origin for Human-Like Precision Grasping: A Comparative Study of Pollical Distal Phalanges in Fossil Hominins
%A Sergio Alm¨¦cija
%A Salvador Moy¨¤-Sol¨¤
%A David M. Alba
%J PLOS ONE
%D 2012
%I Public Library of Science (PLoS)
%R 10.1371/journal.pone.0011727
%X The morphology of human pollical distal phalanges (PDP) closely reflects the adaptation of human hands for refined precision grip with pad-to-pad contact. The presence of these precision grip-related traits in the PDP of fossil hominins has been related to human-like hand proportions (i.e. short hands with a long thumb) enabling the thumb and finger pads to contact. Although this has been traditionally linked to the appearance of stone tool-making, the alternative hypothesis of an earlier origin¡ªrelated to the freeing of the hands thanks to the advent of terrestrial bipedalism¡ªis also possible given the human-like intrinsic hand proportion found in australopiths.
%U http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011727