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Right-handed fossil humans.

Marina Lozano1, Almudena Estalrrich2, Luca Bondioli3

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Evolutionary Anthropology
|December 22, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Fossil hominin teeth reveal a consistent 9:1 right- to left-handedness ratio, indicating modern handedness patterns existed long before Homo sapiens. This ancient trait is evident in early African and European hominin fossils.

Keywords:
Neandertalsarchaic Homolabial tooth striationslaterality

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Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • Primate Evolution
  • Human Origins

Background:

  • Fossil hominins processed materials using their teeth, leaving impact marks.
  • Analysis of these marks can reveal dominant hand use.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of handedness in fossil hominins.
  • To determine if modern handedness patterns existed in ancient human relatives.

Main Methods:

  • Examining labial (lip) surfaces of fossil hominin incisors and canines for oblique striations.
  • Quantifying the frequency of right- versus left-handed marks.

Main Results:

  • A consistent 9:1 right- to left-handedness ratio was observed in fossil hominins.
  • This pattern was found in European fossils and extended to early Pleistocene African Homo habilis (OH-65).
  • Neandertal and earlier European hominin fossils predominantly show right-handedness.

Conclusions:

  • The 9:1 handedness ratio is a uniquely modern human trait that extends deep into our evolutionary past.
  • Evidence suggests modern handedness patterns predated the emergence of Homo sapiens, appearing in the early Pleistocene of Africa and Europe.