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Throwing is a physical action that consists ofmechanicallyaccelerating aprojectile and then releasing it into aballistic trajectory, usually with the aim ofimpacting a distant target.Throwing typically refers to hand-throwing byanimals withprehensileforelimbs, in which the projectile isgrasped in ahand and the proximal limb segments move through compoundedkinematic chains to impart amechanical advantaged swinging motion. For other animals, the definition of throwing is somewhat unclear, as other actions such asspitting orspraying may or may not be included.
Primates are the most proliferative throwers in the animal kingdom, and they typically throwfeces as a form ofagonistic behavior. Of all primates,humans are by far the most capable throwers, and throw a large variety of projectiles with a much greater complexity, efficacy and accuracy. Throughouthuman evolution, humans (especiallyHomo sapiens) have used hand-thrown projectiles forhunting and inwarfare — first throughrock-throwing, then refined weapon-throwing (e.g.spear,axe ordart), and into modern day with payload-carrying devices such ashand grenades,flashbangs andtear gas canisters.
To overcome the biophysical limitations of throwing by hand, humans also designed tools to improve the efficiency of their throwing techniques. Theatlatl,amentum,sling and various models ofcatapults are notable examples of throwingmechanisms.
With the advent of thebow and arrow, and later thegunpowder-basedfirearm, human innovation into throwing tools as weapons essentially halted, but throwing either by hand or with tools has persisted forrecreational purposes (such as thrower tools infishing andclay pigeon shooting) or as a form ofexercise. Throwing is thus still performed in manysports andgames, particularlyball games. Inthrowing sports (especiallytrack and field) throwing is the main determiner of the outcome.
Throwing dates back two million years toHomo erectus.[1] Development of the offensive throwing ofprojectiles is mostly a development of thehuman lineage, although the aimed throwing of sticks and rocks by male chimpanzees duringagonistic displays has been observed, first described byJane Goodall in 1964.[2]"Accumulative throwing", that is, the targeted throwing of rocks at a specific target, leading to the gradual accumulation of a stone pile, has also been described for chimpanzees.[3]Woodendarts were used forhunting at least from theMiddle Paleolithic, byHomo heidelbergensis. Thespear-thrower is a development of theUpper Paleolithic, certainly in use by theSolutrean (c. 20,000 years ago).
Human athletes can achieve throwing speeds close to 145 km/h (90 mph), far in excess of the maximal speed attainable by chimpanzees, at about 30 km/h (19 mph).[1] This ability reflects the ability of the humanshouldermuscles andtendons to storeelasticity until it is needed to propel an object.[1]
Types of throws include overhand throws, underhand throws and using both hands. Overhand throws are thrown predominantly above the shoulder, underhand throws below. Overhand throws are usually significantly faster, and ball speeds of 105 miles per hour (169 km/h) have been recorded inbaseball.[4] Thrown objects can often be intentionally spun for stability or aerodynamic effects.
The notion of throwing typically refers to an action performed without mechanical assistance, but mechanical assistance, as long as it does not involve the release ofchemical orelectric energy, does not fundamentally change the nature of the action, and can thus be considered as throwing too. As such, throwing mechanisms will be discussed in this section.
The overhand throwing motion is a complexmotor skill that involves the entire body in a series of linked movements starting from the legs, progressing up through the pelvis and trunk, and culminating in aballistic motion in the arm that propels a projectile forward. It is used almost exclusively in athletic events. The throwing motion can be broken down into three basic steps: cocking, accelerating, and releasing.
Desired qualities in the action produce a fast, accurate throw. These qualities are affected by the physical attributes of the thrower like height, strength, andflexibility. However it is mainly the throwing motion mechanics and the thrower's ability to coordinate them that determines the quality of the throw. Determining the desired qualities of the throwing motion is difficult to assess due to the extremely short amount of time that it takes professionals to perform the motion.
Throwing mechanisms, along with projectiles themselves, rank amongst the oldest technological artefacts in the archaeological records. They vary greatly in size and complexity, from the hand-held and extremely simplesling, to the very heavy and complexcatapults. These two types of devices have in common with hand-throwing the fact that the only requirements for their projectiles are size and weight. In that sense they differ from more specialized throwing techniques such as those developed inarchery, where the projectiles have very strong requirements for their shape.
Throwing is used for propelling weapons such as stones or spears at enemies, predators, or prey.
Track and field contains four major throwing events:discus throw,hammer throw,javelin throw andshot put. Theweight throw is the fifth most common field throwing event, while theclub throw is unique todisability athletics.
Throwing can be performed in a non-agonistic way, when the target is a cooperating agent who will perform a somewhat opposite action calledcatch. Humans are most likely the only animals capable of throwing with such an intent. This is an almost exclusively intraspecific behavior, whose goal is to exchange artifacts without having to shorten the distance between the participants. The seemingly unique exception to this intraspecificity is when humans play a game calledfetch with adomestic dog, although in that situation the dog always catches, never throws.[citation needed]
Such use is so common that it is a common metaphor for figuratively sending something to someone (e.g.to throw a bone).
An other very common use of the behavior is for disposal. The employed term is then typicallythrowing away, and it too is very commonly used figuratively.
Studies differ as to the degree of sexual dimorphism in throwing amongst modern humans.
Research byMythBusters found that men and women throw almost equally well with their non-dominant hand, suggesting that the sexual differences were probably due to differences in training.[5]
Other research suggests there exist innate biological differences between the sexes that lead to disparities in throwing efficiency, with males better adapted at delivering more effective throws than females.[6]
Throwing is rare among non-primates but, provided the definition is relaxed to entail for instancespitting, several examples can be found amongst various taxa, such ascamelids,cobras or thearcherfish.
Elephants have been observed throwing rocks and logs, using their trunk to grab and flick items, although they lack the accuracy that primates can achieve, and it is more commonly used as a warning to aggressors.
If one is willing to considerdropping as a special case of throwing, then one can include birds, most notablyvultures, as some species are known to drop stones in order to break shells or other hard food sources on the ground.
Orcas are often observed throwingseals in the air, usually by hitting them with their caudal fin. This behavior is speculated to be purely recreational.
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