Alpha monkeys trump dead fish

Competitive chaps impress their colleagues with firm handshakes because a good grip asserts their social dominance: hardly breaking news. More interesting is the suggestion, published in BusinessWeek, that only 35 per cent of the manly grasp's strength is determined by the shaker's environment; 65 per cent of it is genetically determined, according to research by psychologist Gordon Gallup. He attributes this to our distant ancestors: monkeys with powerful hands swung easily through the trees, thus impressing lady monkeys with their genetic excellence, while their weaker-palmed pals were more likely to drop to earth.

(Note: the article says that there's no correlation between the strength of a woman's handshake and her behavioural competitiveness, although it does suggest good health.)