Human shoulders and elbows first evolved as brakes for climbing apes – study

Human shoulders and elbows first evolved as brakes for climbing apes – study (Danny Lawson/PA)

The rotating shoulders and extending elbows that allow humans to reach a high shelf or throw a ball may have first evolved as a natural braking system for our primate ancestors, a study suggests.

According to the researchers, early humans needed the movements to slow their descent out of trees so they could climb down without dying.