<p><a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/files/2012/04/gibbonhand400.png" title=""></a></p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><figure class="fr-image-container fr-full"><img srcset="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/14533/gibbonhand400-s.webp 480w, https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/14533/gibbonhand400-m.webp 660w" sizes="(max-width: 480px) 480px, 660px" src="https://cdn.discovermagazine.com/assets/image/14533/gibbonhand400-s.jpg" title="gibbonhand400.png" loading="lazy" data-id="14533"><figcaption class="fr-figcaption"><p class="fr-caption"></p></figcaption></figure><p>In the May issue of <em>National Geographic</em>, I contemplate the hand. Human hands are unique and versatile--and yet we are far from the only animals with them. By looking at the variety of hands in nature, we can see some of the most striking evidence of how evolution <a href="http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2012/04/22/bricolage-and-the-tangled-bank-happy-mistranslations-of-evolution/" title="">tinkers</a> in all sorts of unexpected way. <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/05/hands/zimmer-text" title="">Check it out.</a> The print version is accompanied by lovely sketches of a wide range of hands. If you read the story online, you can see an animation of the human hand. And if you have the National Geographic <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ipad" title="">iPad app</a>, you can see videos of other hands, from frogs to aye-ayes. <a href="http://www.arkive.org/white-handed-gibbon/hylobates-lar/image-G16333.html" title="">[Image: White -handed gibbon by Ingo Arndt, on Arkive.]</a></p>

Discover why human hands are unique and how they showcase the evidence of evolution through the variety of hands in nature.

Planet Earth

A Multitude of Hands: My new essay for National Geographic

Article

News

Carl Zimmer

Science

In the May issue of National Geographic, I contemplate the hand. Human hands are unique and versatile--and yet we are far from the only animals with them. By looking at the variety of hands in nature, we can see some of the most striking evidence of how evolution tinkers in all sorts of unexpected way. Check it out. The print version is accompanied by lovely sketches of a wide range of hands. If you read the story online, you can see an animation of the human hand. And if you have the National Geographic iPad app, you can see videos of other hands, from frogs to aye-ayes. [Image: White -handed gibbon by Ingo Arndt, on Arkive.]

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众手相助：我为国家地理撰写的新文章

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