If we put our hands on a table as if about to walks on the tips of our fingers, we can see what a well-balanced support is formed.
We no longer need our hands for walking, of course, but the unequal length of our fingers still help us in many ways to maintain balance and grasp and use tools-the main thing man can do that makes him special.
If our fingers were the same length, our hands wouldn't be such flexible tools. When we hold a spherical object like an orange in the palm of our hand, the fingers actually curve around evenly, giving us a firm grip. Tapering fingers (and strong thumbs) allowed early humans to use specially-shaped stones to smash, scrape and cut other objects. (A long pinky finger would be more likely to get caught and squashed itself.) Besides precision grips, our different-length fingers also provide a balanced support for crawling or leaning on our hands.
