The study reveals that the most developed manual dexterity occurs in primates with large brains.Says lead author and evolutionary biologist Sandra Heldstab of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, “It is no coincidence that we humans are so good at using our hands and using tools, our large brains made it possible.
A big brain equals great dexterity.”In the paper, the authors highlight that patterns of neural development in young primates are similar across species, including the larger-brained primates, such as humans, who develop dexterity later.The study appears in Science Advances.Over 7 years, Heldstab and her colleagues — Karin Isler, Caroline Schuppli, and Carel van Schaik — studied 128 young primates living in 13 European zoos..