Chimpanzee vs Human: Who Throws Harder? | Smartest Year Ever (May 11, 2025)

Throwing isn’t just a skill—it’s a human superpower. But what happens when we put our pitching abilities up against some of the strongest animals on Earth? In today’s episode, Gordy digs into the surprising science behind animal throwing speed, from gorillas hurling sticks to chimpanzees planning sneak attacks with rocks.

But can any of them come close to a Major League fastball? And what does that tell us about human evolution, brain power, and the way we’re built to throw? You might be surprised at the answer.

Plus, learn how our shoulders, hips, and brains are specially engineered for precision throwing, and why no other species has quite the same set of skills.

Sources:

• Nakamichi, M. (1998). Stick throwing by gorillas at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Folia Primatologica, 69(5), 291.
  

• Wittiger, L., & Sunderland-Groves, J. (2007). Tool use during display behavior in wild Cross River gorillas. American Journal of Primatology.
  

• Osvath, M. (2009). Spontaneous planning for future stone throwing by a male chimpanzee. Current Biology, 19(5), R190–R191.
  

• Hopkins, W. D., et al. (2011). The neural and cognitive correlates of aimed throwing in chimpanzees. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 367(1599), 37–47.
  

• Roach, N. T., et al. (2013). Elastic energy storage in the shoulder and the evolution of high-speed throwing in Homo. Nature, 498(7455), 483–486.
  

Music thanks to Zapsplat. #Chimpanzee #ThrowingSpeed #HumanEvolution #DidYouKnow #DailyFacts #AnimalFacts #EvolutionaryBiology #SportsScience