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Manual laterality and cognition through evolution: An archeological perspective.

Natalie T Uomini1, Lana Ruck2

  • 1Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Jena, Germany.

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|August 12, 2018
PubMed
Summary

Archeological data reveal that motor biases and anatomical asymmetries, indicating laterality, were present in early human ancestors. Right-handedness became more predominant over evolutionary time.

Keywords:
ArcheologyFossilsHandednessHomininsHuman evolutionLateralityLithicsPaleoanthropologyPaleoneurologyStone tools

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Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Understanding the evolution of lateralized motor biases and cognitive functions requires examining prehistoric data.
  • Existing data primarily focus on the hominin lineage from 6-8 million years ago to the present.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of paleontological and archeological data concerning human laterality.
  • To explore the evolutionary trajectory of motor biases and anatomical asymmetries in human ancestors.

Main Methods:

  • Review of archeological and paleontological evidence related to asymmetry and laterality in the hominin fossil record.
  • Analysis of prehistoric data to identify trends in motor biases and anatomical asymmetries over time.

Main Results:

  • Lateralized motor biases and anatomical asymmetries are evident throughout human prehistory.
  • A notable increase in the predominance of right-handedness was observed over time.
  • Laterality was a significant aspect of the motor-cognitive development in extinct human ancestors.

Conclusions:

  • Laterality has been a fundamental characteristic of human evolution.
  • While behavioral markers like handedness suggest cognitive laterality, caution is advised when inferring functional brain lateralization.
  • Further research on living humans is necessary to fully understand the colateralization of cognitive functions in the brain.