Mary Joy is an undergraduate student at Dartmouth University's Department of Anthropology — and, additionally, is a climber and runner. Indeed, Joy's athletic interests have fueled her scientific endeavors in at least one important way: They helped her develop a hypothesis about the evolution of shoulders, elbows and wrists in human beings. Since humans apparently use quick movements with a large range of motion when running downhill, could that same increased range of motion exist in primate shoulders and elbows to reduce fatigue and muscle contraction when they climb downward?
Why do apes have a far greater range of motion in their shoulder, elbow and wrist joints than monkeys?
