An international team of scientists working with veterinary and care staff at zoos and wildlife sanctuaries has carried out a detailed study of heart structure and function in great apes and compared the results with human hearts. They found the structure and function of the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the human heart is significantly different from that of the great apes they studied – chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, orangutans.
The muscle in the wall of the ape hearts is arranged in bundles called trabeculations that form a meshwork of ridges and strands called trabeculations on the internal surface. The human heart has a relatively smooth wall especially at the bottom of the chamber where it forms the apex of the heart.
To see whether this structure made a difference is the way the heart functions the scientists used a specialised type of ultrasound scan to study how the muscles in the wall of the heart contract and move. With each heartbeat the muscles in the walls thicken, contract and then relax and lengthen resulting rotation and twisting of the apex of the heart.
Aimee Drane, one of the researchers, summarised their findings: “The results were striking. Humans, who have the least trabeculation, exhibited much greater twist and rotation at the apex (the tip of the heart) during contraction. In contrast, non-human great apes, with their heavily trabeculated hearts, showed much less movement.”
In an article entitled “What the unique shape of the human heart tells us about our evolution” Aimee Drane went onto comment: “We believe the human heart evolved away from the trabeculated structure seen in the other great apes to enhance its ability to twist and contract more efficiently. This increased twisting motion, along with the smooth ventricular walls, probably allows the human heart to pump a larger volume of blood with each beat. This meets the heightened demands of our physical activity and larger brains.”
The researchers claim the heart study “has shed light on the evolution of the human heart” as humans evolved from apes, became upright and more active and developed a large brain.
References: The Conversation 21 August 2024; PhysOrg 21 August 2024; Communications Biology 14 June 2024 doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-06280-9
Editorial Comment: These scientists may believe the smooth human heart evolved from a trabeculated heart but no-one has actually observed that, or explained how standing up is going to change an ape heart into a human heart. What they really observed is that the human heart is different from an ape heart.
That is no surprise to us because human beings are not apes, unlike the evolutionary story that portrays humans as apes that stood up. It takes more than being able to straighten knees and hips for the body work in a fully upright position. Upright stance, physical activity and a large brain positioned above the heart all demand extra blood flow, which the human heart with its efficient wringing action for pumping blood provides.
These heart structure and function studies are further evidence that human bodies are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) by our Creator, with all our parts designed and made to work together as human body, not a modified ape.
Creation Research News 5 September 2024
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