Scientists have identified the genes linked to left-handedness

Yappi

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For the first time, scientists have identified the genetic differences associated with left-handedness, a trait found in 10% of the human population.

What's more, those genetic variants result in differences in brain structure, which might mean that left-handed people have better verbal skills than the right-handed majority.

While previous research into twins has indicated that genes are at least partially responsible for controlling handedness, the new study, conducted by scientists from the University of Oxford and published in the journal Brain, is the first to identify which genetic variants separate the lefties from the righties.

The research could suggest a potential correlation between left-handedness and superior verbal skills, said Akira Wiberg, a Medical Research Council fellow at the University of Oxford who worked on the study.


Now they will have a new insult for people that are unable to speak well, "you must be right-handed."
 
 
or being left-handed in a primarily right-handed rule might mean they generally adapt compensating skills, better verbal skills? Nature? Nurture?
 
How come people don’t refer to lefties as deviants?

Lefties are deviants. Left-handedness is clearly deviant behavior. Left-handed behavior is a choice. You choose to write left-handed or throw left-handed or pick up your fork with your left hand. Genetics have nothing to do with this deviant behavior.
 
Lol, I'm sure something like that but to be honest she scared me more than the old man's belt.

Those Catholic nuns were scary back in the day. I had one nun repeatedly call me a "Beatle" while she pulled my hair and smacked me with a ruler. I guess John, Paul, George and Ringo were the devil's assistants...they were probably left-handed, too.
 
I definitely feel privileged to have been a left hander in a post-nun Catholic grade school environment.
 
It didn't take nuns to force a switch. I don't recall teachers or Ma making me write, right handed. I know I instinctively eat left handed (a problem sometimes when I traveled), shoot left handed, batted both but throw and write, right. I can write fairly proficiently with my left, but normally need to practice a bit. And of course I need both hands to


do pull-ups. I think mostly I just did what most others were doing.
 
When I picked up the drums some years ago, being a righty I couldn't execute with my left hand to save my life. So I started doing everyday activities with just the left hand. Took a long time to master things like holding my coffee cup while pinching the handle ( and shaving is always a dicey proposition), but it's helped greatly. My playing is still bad, but the mistakes sound more even, lol.
 
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I am right handed, but left eyed and left footed.
I have two left feet.

Nice to see you posting in here again.

Would you say that “left footedness” is related more to doing seldom-perfomed tasks and needing that dominant eye ?

I have always assumed that muscle memory favors one side of the body or another to determine tendencies, but that seldom practiced and/or especially vision dependent tasks like shooting would favor the dominant eye.
 
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I have two left feet.

Nice to see you posting in here again.

Would you say that “left footedness” is related more to doing seldom-perfomed tasks and needing that dominant eye ?

I have always assumed that muscle memory favors one side of the body or another to determine tendencies, but that seldom practiced and/or especially vision dependent tasks like shooting would favor the dominant eye.
The dominant foot is more related to doing everyday tasks, like walking. Watch someone standing casually. The foot they lead with when they walk away is their dominant foot. If you don't have time to stand and wait, sneak up behind them and give them a shove. They will step with their dominant foot. Explain to them afterwards that you are conducting a scientific study and all should be good.

I first learned of this decades ago when I was coaching linemen. Right hand on the ground and right foot back. Or like my brother, left and left. But there was always one kid who naturally would put his right hand down and his left foot back. WTF? Seems awkward to me, but not to him. So I learned the reason.

Another test is the dominant foot is usually larger.

I am right handed, and right-winged.

Left eyed and left footed.

Supposedly this means neither the left nor right brain dominates the other.
 
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We always did the same test with linemen.

In baseball it was the finger test. Hold it with both eyes open in front of a straight vertical object (light pole). Close one eye, then open and close the other. Whichever eye kept your finger closest to the object was your dominant one. Some kids described their bad eye being 3-4 inches out and depending on how they batted (right or left) that might be the eye facing the pitcher. I'll never forget opening one kids stance so his dominant eye could see and he tore the cover off the ball.
 
Those Catholic nuns were scary back in the day. I had one nun repeatedly call me a "Beatle" while she pulled my hair and smacked me with a ruler. I guess John, Paul, George and Ringo were the devil's assistants...they were probably left-handed, too.
Actually... McCartney IS a leftie :ROFLMAO:
 
Aha, the Beatles were deviants! The nuns were right. Devil's music.

I used to get demerits in Catholic grade school for "insolence". I didn't even know what it meant.
 
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