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Path: utzoo!laura
From: laura@utzoo.UUCP (Laura Creighton)
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.followup,net.misc
Subject: Re: Results of handedness survey
Message-ID: <5209@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 11-Mar-85 14:52:19 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5209
Posted: Mon Mar 11 14:52:19 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Mar-85 14:52:19 EST
References: <649@mhuxt.UUCP>, <224@vaxwaller.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 22

I went to the Ontario Science Centre (hello oscvax!) over the
weekend, and picked up Vol 10 #1 of the Ontario Science Centre
handout (Newscience). The font page is dedicated to handedness. According
to it 50% of animals are right pawed, and 50% left pawed.
Unlike humans they are evenly divided in their preferences.
This seems to be true of gorrillas and chimpanzees as well.

Since Stone Age Tools of ~5000 BC are either usuable by either
hand, or divided 50/50 for use by either hand, but by the time of
the Bronze Age (3000-1000 BC) tools were predominately made
for the right hand, some researchers have concluded that tool
makers have forced the tribe to become right handed to use
their tools. The argument does not appear to wash, since
the change in distribution seems to occurr in every prehistoric society.
A global conspiracy of tool makers seems unlikely.

Certain tests seem to indicate that you either have a gene for
right handedness, or you are neutral. Right handedness is dominant.
The neutrals seem to spilt 50/50 into being left or right handed.

Laura Creighton
utzoo!laura