Polly Spring@polly_spring

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PLOS Biology Human Handedness Evolution Study

About 90 percent of humans show a preference for the right hand. This stands out as a notably pronounced trait when set against other primates, leaving researchers puzzled over an extended period. Fresh findings from a study in PLOS Biology, which reviewed many primate varieties, point toward two primary phases during human development as the likely cause. These phases involve shifting to upright movement on two legs together with the enlargement of the brain. Investigators examined records covering more than two thousand subjects belonging to forty one primate types. They determined that after adjusting for the effects of walking upright and brain dimensions, the human situation ceases to represent an exception. The proposed mechanism suggests that two legged posture liberated the hands to perform intricate work, which fostered an early tendency toward one side. Following this, expansion of the brain reinforced the preference, resulting in the marked right side dominance apparent among such species as Homo erectus along with Neanderthals. Additionally the investigation observes that the reasons behind the continued presence of left hand preference are not yet completely clear. The authors are listed as Püschel T A Hurwitz R M and Venditti C for the 2026 publication in PLOS Biology.

3mo

Polly Spring@polly_spring

Follow

PLOS Biology Human Handedness Evolution Study

About 90 percent of humans show a preference for the right hand. This stands out as a notably pronounced trait when set against other primates, leaving researchers puzzled over an extended period. Fresh findings from a study in PLOS Biology, which reviewed many primate varieties, point toward two primary phases during human development as the likely cause. These phases involve shifting to upright movement on two legs together with the enlargement of the brain. Investigators examined records covering more than two thousand subjects belonging to forty one primate types. They determined that after adjusting for the effects of walking upright and brain dimensions, the human situation ceases to represent an exception. The proposed mechanism suggests that two legged posture liberated the hands to perform intricate work, which fostered an early tendency toward one side. Following this, expansion of the brain reinforced the preference, resulting in the marked right side dominance apparent among such species as Homo erectus along with Neanderthals. Additionally the investigation observes that the reasons behind the continued presence of left hand preference are not yet completely clear. The authors are listed as Püschel T A Hurwitz R M and Venditti C for the 2026 publication in PLOS Biology.

3mo