Biologists say that as apes evolved into humans, their faces took on fighting features such as thicker jaws and foreheads.

生物学家们认为，当类人猿进化成人类时，为了适应打斗，他们的下颌和额头变得更厚实。

The characteristics were previously thought to be adaptations for a diet of hard-to-chew foods, such as nuts.

之前，这种人脸特征被认为是为了适应那些难以咀嚼的食物，比如坚果。

But researchers at the University of Utah point out that they developed around the same time as humans acquired the ability to curl their hand into a club-like fist.

但犹他大学的研究者们指出，这种现象是和人类能够握拳这一现象同时出现的。

Professor David Carrier said the changes could have been to ‘better protect’ the face when punched.

大卫-卡里尔教授认为，人脸的改变，是为了被拳头击打时对脸部提供更好的保护。

He said: ‘If indeed the evolution of our hand proportions were associated with selection for fighting behaviour you might expect the primary target, the face, to have undergone evolution to better protect it from injury when punched.

他说：“如果我们的手部比例真的是为了打斗才进化成现在的样子，那可想而知拳头的主要目标脸，为了在打斗中更好的保护自己，发生了趋同进化。”

【美科学家谈人类进化：人脸是被“打”出来的】相关文章：

★ 此时此刻比梦想更重要

★ 好莱坞明星新组合：皮特与查理兹·塞隆在一起了！

★ 神经学家解读:什么是偏头痛

★ 致我们终将逝去的青春：20多岁后悔没去做的8件事

★ 如何使你的日常锻炼变得更加活跃

★ 中国人更容易“密恐”？最新研究报告来了......

★ 科学家称玩嗨了有助于学习

★ 又到一年飞絮季 北京绘“杨柳地图” 力争到2020年改善

★ 我国科学家发现了可抑制HIV扩散的蛋白质

★ Gucci推出迪士尼合作款包包，画风不忍直视