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Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Evaluating the Function of the Foot Core System in the Elderly
Published on: March 11, 2022
Low survival of strongly footed pheasants may explain constraints on lateralization
Mark A Whiteside1, Mackenzie M Bess2, Elisa Frasnelli3
1Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, UK. M.Whiteside@exeter.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Brain lateralization is considered adaptive because it leads to behavioral biases and specializations that bring fitness benefits. Across species, strongly lateralized individuals perform better in specific behaviors likely to improve survival. What constrains continued exaggerated lateralization? We measured survival of pheasants, finding that individuals with stronger bias in their footedness had shorter life expectancies compared to individuals with weak biases. Consequently, weak, or no footedness provided the highest fitness benefits. If, as suggested, footedness is indicative of more general brain lateralization, this could explain why continued brain lateralization is constrained even though it may improve performance in specific behaviors.
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