Ever wonder why you have five fingers? Not six? Not three? R. Chanuad, of Prescott, Arizona was sufficiently curious to put the question to the Scientific American, which recruited Michael Coates, associate professor of Anatomy at the University of Chicago, to find an answer. Coates explains that once upon a time, about 360 million years ago, it wasn’t all that unusual for creatures to have six, seven, or eight digits, but that as wrist and ankle joints became more sophisticated, the number of digits decreased. The scientist points out that it is hard to argue persuasively that five digits are biomechanically preferable to six, largely because we lack a six-digit control group. He also suggests that it is unlikely that we ever will have such a control group, because, evolutionarily speaking, the trend is toward fewer digits, not more. Interesting, isn’t it? Now, if someone would just ask what all of this has to do with the health and fitness of people over 40, we’ll try to find an expert to answer that question.
Health, fitness and lifestyle tips for people over 50 who still like to play hard
Sunday, June 1, 2025