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George Washington University researcher, in Nature study,
collected motion data from baseball players to uncover why humans are such good
throwers.
Little leaguers and professional baseball players alike have
our extinct ancestors to thank for their success on the mound, shows a study by
George Washington University researcher Neil Roach, which is featured on the
cover of the June 27 edition of the journal Nature.
Of course, the ability to throw fast and accurately did not
evolve so our ancestors could play ball. Instead, Dr. Roach’s study proposes
that this ability first evolved nearly 2 million years ago to aid in hunting.
Humans are unique in their throwing ability, even when compared to our
chimpanzee cousins.