Would a 2 thumbed hand increase grip significantly?
My generation ship aliens have 2 thumbed hands. No, not the 2 thumbs on the same side that some humans have but the 2 thumbs on opposite sides. So it would be kind of like this:
Except more reptilian and less human as far as the skin but this picture right here is of a hand with 2 thumbs and the thumbs on opposite sides of the hand.
The reason my aliens have 2 thumbs on each hand is to increase their grip strength. The grip strength of the pinky may be 50% of the total grip strength of the human hand but we wouldn't have much grip strength without a thumb. Having a thumb makes us better at grabbing on to things. I would imagine that having 2 thumbs would be even better. Plus, with a 2 thumbed hand you could cross your 2 thumbs while having the other 4 fingers relaxed. And counting in base 12 would be easier too.
Anyway, would having a second thumb on the opposite side of the hand increase the aliens grip strength significantly? I think it would, but would my aliens really have significantly better grip strength than humans with a second thumb on the opposite side of both hands?
This post was sourced from https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/78429. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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Reptilian with multiple opposing digits? Sounds like chameleons:
Yes, our little Madagascan color-changing friends already have the arrangement you are looking for. Why? Because their arboreal life almost demands it.
While moving along from branch to branch, from tree to tree, even over flowers and leaves, you need to be able to hold on. The mouth and tongue capture the prey, and the tail aids with balance and can grip a little, but for true twig-grabbing strength, they rely on that second opposable digit.
Your aliens started from something very close to Earth's chameleon, and therefore likely arose in a similar environment or biome. They then went right on evolving, until arriving at sentience and space travel and all that.
This post was sourced from https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/a/78458. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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