1
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Salmi R, Le K, Silva JM, Conceição DP, Presotto A, Rodrigues Dos Santos R. Hand preference in wild crab-eating capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) in the coastal area of Northest Brazil. Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23546. [PMID: 37635447 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Handedness is a fundamental human trait, although recent research, especially on nonhuman primates, has shown that it is displayed by other animals as well (e.g., chimpanzees, gorillas). In this study, we explore hand preference in wild crab-eating tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) inhabiting a mangrove forest located on the coastal area of Northeast Brazil (Maranhão State). Tufted capuchin monkeys at our site use facultatively wooden tools to crack open crabs. We observed hand preference in 12 subjects who spontaneously participated in experiment sessions, in which we provided crabs and tools on wooden platforms. We recorded (using events and bouts) two unimanual tasks, (tool or crab) grabbing and (tool or crab) pounding, and one bimanual task, crab pulling, where one hand kept the crab in place while the other pulled off parts of the crab. Hand preference increased with greater strength needed to perform the task and its complexity. While only 17%-25% of capuchins showed hand preference during grabbing, 44%-64% showed hand preference during pounding, and most subjects 64%-80% displayed a right-hand preference when performing the bimanual task, for which all lateralized individuals were right-handed. Hand preference did not vary between adults and juvenile individuals and was not consistent across tasks. Group-level hand preference was found only for the bimanual task, for which all lateralized individuals were right-handed. Our findings are in concordance with those of other primate studies showing the emergence of hemispheric specialization for bimanual actions, highlight the importance of conducting such studies on diverse type of tasks, and show the feasibility to conduct experimental manipulation under natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Salmi
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
- Mangrove Primate Center, Maranhão State, Brazil
| | - Kristie Le
- Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jardeani M Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil
| | - Daiana P Conceição
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís, Brazil
| | - Andrea Presotto
- Mangrove Primate Center, Maranhão State, Brazil
- Department of Geography and Geosciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland, USA
| | - Ricardo Rodrigues Dos Santos
- Mangrove Primate Center, Maranhão State, Brazil
- Centro de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Sao Luis, Brazil
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2
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Soto C, Gázquez JMM, Llorente M. Hand preferences in coordinated bimanual tasks in non-human primates: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 141:104822. [PMID: 35961384 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The evolutionary significance of hand preferences among non-human primates and humans has been studied for decades with the aim of determining the origins of the population-level tendency. In this study, a meta-analysis was conducted to statistically integrate data on hand preferences in non-human primates performing the tube task and other bimanual tasks to determine the presence and direction of manual laterality. Significant individual-level lateralization was obtained for these bimanual tasks. In nonhuman primates, 82% of the animals analysed showed right or left-hand preference performing the tube task, this figure being 90% for other bimanual tasks. In contrast with humans, no asymmetry was found at the population level. Additionally, population-level preferences were not found in either of the tasks, although a strong manual preference was found when performing the tube task and other bimanual tasks. Species was studied as a variable moderator throughout the meta-analysis. These results highlight the importance of standardized testing methodologies across species and institutions to obtain comparable data and fill the gaps in the taxonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Soto
- Fundació UdG: Innovació i Formació, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Pic de Peguera 11, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - José M M Gázquez
- Fundació UdG: Innovació i Formació, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Pic de Peguera 11, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Miquel Llorente
- Fundació UdG: Innovació i Formació, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Pic de Peguera 11, 17003 Girona, Spain; Grup de Recerca "Llenguatge i Cognició", Departament de Psicologia, Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, Plaça Sant Domènec 9, 17004 Girona, Spain.
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3
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Kuběnová B, Lhota S, Tomanová V, Blažek V, Konečná M. Lion-tailed macaques show a stable direction and reinforcement of hand preference in simple reaching tasks over several years. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.25225/jvb.21076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Kuběnová
- Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Praha, Czech Republic; e-mail:
| | - Stanislav Lhota
- Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Praha, Czech Republic; e-mail:
| | - Veronika Tomanová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; e-mail: ,
| | - Vladimír Blažek
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Philosophy and Arts, University of West Bohemia, Plzeň, Czech Republic; e-mail:
| | - Martina Konečná
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; e-mail: ,
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Aychet J, Monchy N, Blois-Heulin C, Lemasson A. Context-Dependent Gestural Laterality: A Multifactorial Analysis in Captive Red-Capped Mangabeys. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:186. [PMID: 35049807 PMCID: PMC8772743 DOI: 10.3390/ani12020186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Catarrhine primates gesture preferentially with their right hands, which led to the hypothesis of a gestural origin of human left-hemispheric specialization for language. However, the factors influencing this gestural laterality remain understudied in non-hominoid species, particularly in intraspecific contexts, although it may bring valuable insights into the proximate and ultimate causes of language lateralization. We present here a preliminary investigation of intraspecific gestural laterality in catarrhine monkeys, red-capped mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus). We described the spontaneous production of brachio-manual intentional gestures in twenty-five captive subjects. Although we did not evidence any significant gestural lateralization neither at the individual- nor population-level, we found that mangabeys preferentially use their right hands to gesture in negative social contexts, such as aggressions, suggesting an effect of emotional lateralization, and that they adapt to the position of their receiver by preferentially using their ipsilateral hand to communicate. These results corroborate previous findings from ape studies. By contrast, factors related to gesture form and socio-demographic characteristics of signaler and receiver did not affect gestural laterality. To understand better the relationships between gestural laterality and brain lateralization from an evolutionary perspective, we suggest that the gestural communication of other monkey species should be examined with a multifactorial approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Aychet
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie Animale et Humaine)—UMR 6552, 35380 Paimpont, France; (N.M.); (C.B.-H.); (A.L.)
| | - Noémie Monchy
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie Animale et Humaine)—UMR 6552, 35380 Paimpont, France; (N.M.); (C.B.-H.); (A.L.)
| | - Catherine Blois-Heulin
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie Animale et Humaine)—UMR 6552, 35380 Paimpont, France; (N.M.); (C.B.-H.); (A.L.)
| | - Alban Lemasson
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie Animale et Humaine)—UMR 6552, 35380 Paimpont, France; (N.M.); (C.B.-H.); (A.L.)
- Institut Universitaire de France, CEDEX 05, 75231 Paris, France
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5
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Limb Preference in Animals: New Insights into the Evolution of Manual Laterality in Hominids. Symmetry (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/sym14010096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Until the 1990s, the notion of brain lateralization—the division of labor between the two hemispheres—and its more visible behavioral manifestation, handedness, remained fiercely defined as a human specific trait. Since then, many studies have evidenced lateralized functions in a wide range of species, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In this review, we highlight the great contribution of comparative research to the understanding of human handedness’ evolutionary and developmental pathways, by distinguishing animal forelimb asymmetries for functionally different actions—i.e., potentially depending on different hemispheric specializations. Firstly, lateralization for the manipulation of inanimate objects has been associated with genetic and ontogenetic factors, with specific brain regions’ activity, and with morphological limb specializations. These could have emerged under selective pressures notably related to the animal locomotion and social styles. Secondly, lateralization for actions directed to living targets (to self or conspecifics) seems to be in relationship with the brain lateralization for emotion processing. Thirdly, findings on primates’ hand preferences for communicative gestures accounts for a link between gestural laterality and a left-hemispheric specialization for intentional communication and language. Throughout this review, we highlight the value of functional neuroimaging and developmental approaches to shed light on the mechanisms underlying human handedness.
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Cubí M, Llorente M. Hand preference for a bimanual coordinated task in captive hatinh langurs (Trachypithecus hatinhensis) and grey-shanked douc langurs (Pygathrix cinerea). Behav Processes 2021; 187:104393. [PMID: 33839239 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Right-handedness in humans reflects the functional brain specialisation of the left hemisphere. To better understand the origins of this population-level tendency, it is crucial to understand manual lateralisation in other non-human primate species. The aim of this article is to present a first approach to the hand preference of two primates from Vietnam, the endangered hatinh langur (Trachypithecus hatinhensis) and the critically endangered grey-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix cinerea). Eighteen individuals from each species (N = 36) were evaluated by means of the bimanual coordinated tube task and their responses were recorded in terms of manual events and bouts. Our results showed that subjects presented strong individual-level preferences but not lateralisation at the group-level. No sex differences were detected within species. The index finger was used in all of the extractions during this bimanual task, alone (86 %) or in combination with other fingers (14 %). In addition, hatinh langurs exhibited a greater strength of hand preferences than grey-shanked douc langurs, pointing to a possible higher manual specialisation during the leaf-eating process. These findings help to broaden our scarce knowledge of manual laterality in Asian colobine monkeys and confirm the bimanual tube task as a sensitive measure for assessing manual laterality in non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Cubí
- Fundació UdG: Innovació i Formació, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Pic de Peguera 11, Girona, 17003, Spain.
| | - Miquel Llorente
- Fundació UdG: Innovació i Formació, Universitat de Girona, Carrer Pic de Peguera 11, Girona, 17003, Spain; Serra Húnter Fellow, Departament de Psicologia, Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, Plaça de Sant Domènec 9, Girona, 17004, Spain; Institut de Recerca i Estudis en Primatologia - IPRIM, 17246 Santa Cristina d'Aro, Girona, Spain.
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Fu WW, Wang XW, Wang CL, Zhao HT, Ren Y, Li BG. Effects of age, sex and manual task on hand preference in wild Rhinopithecus roxellana. Zool Res 2019; 40:129-138. [PMID: 30559334 PMCID: PMC6378565 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2019.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Golden snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana), as typical arboreal group-living Old World monkeys, provide an appropriate animal model to research manual laterality and explore the factors affecting hand preference in nonhuman primates. This study investigated hand preference based on 63 subjects and four spontaneous manual tasks (including unimanual and bimanual feeding and grooming), and assessed the effects of age, gender and type of task on handedness in R. roxellana. A population-level left-handedness was found not only in the bimanual coordinated tasks (bimanual feeding and grooming), but also in one unimanual reaching task (unimanual feeding). There were no significant differences between the sexes in either direction or strength of hand preference among any task. However, a significant difference between adults and juveniles was found in the unimanual feeding task. This is the first report on handedness in unimanual and bimanual feeding tasks that require bipedal posture in wild R. roxellana. Furthermore, this study demonstrated spontaneous feeding tasks reported previously only in the quadrupedal posture in this species, supporting the importance of factors such as posture and task complexity in the evolution of primate manual lateralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Wei Fu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Xiao-Wei Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an Shaanxi 710032, China; E-mail:
| | - Cheng-Liang Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Hai-Tao Zhao
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Yi Ren
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Shaanxi Institute of Zoology, Xi'an Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Bao-Guo Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an Shaanxi 710069, China; E-mail:.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China
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8
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Prieur J, Lemasson A, Barbu S, Blois‐Heulin C. History, development and current advances concerning the evolutionary roots of human right‐handedness and language: Brain lateralisation and manual laterality in non‐human primates. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Prieur
- CNRS, EthoS (Ethologie animale et humaine) – UMR 6552 Universite de Rennes, Normandie Universite Paimpont France
| | - Alban Lemasson
- CNRS, EthoS (Ethologie animale et humaine) – UMR 6552 Universite de Rennes, Normandie Universite Paimpont France
| | - Stéphanie Barbu
- CNRS, EthoS (Ethologie animale et humaine) – UMR 6552 Universite de Rennes, Normandie Universite Paimpont France
| | - Catherine Blois‐Heulin
- CNRS, EthoS (Ethologie animale et humaine) – UMR 6552 Universite de Rennes, Normandie Universite Paimpont France
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9
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Regaiolli B, Spiezio C, Hopkins WD. Asymmetries in mother-infant behaviour in Barbary macaques ( Macaca sylvanus). PeerJ 2018; 6:e4736. [PMID: 29761052 PMCID: PMC5947039 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetries in the maternal behaviour and anatomy might play an important role in the development of primate manual lateralization. In particular, early life asymmetries in mother’s and infant’s behaviour have been suggested to be associated with the development of the hand preference of the offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of behavioural asymmetries in different behavioural categories of mother-infant dyads of zoo-living Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). The study subjects were 14 Barbary macaques involved in seven mother-infant dyads housed in Parco Natura Viva, Italy. For the mothers, bouts of hand preference for maternal cradling and infant retrieval were collected. For the infants, we focused on nipple preference and hand preference for clinging on mother ventrum. Moreover, we collected bouts of hand preference for food reaching in both groups. No significant group-level bias was found for any of the behavioural categories in either mothers or infants. However, at the individual level, six out of seven mothers showed a significant cradling bias, three toward the right hand and three toward the left hand. Moreover, all infants showed a significant nipple preference, six toward the mother’s right nipple, one toward the left nipple. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between the infant nipple preference and their hand preference for food reaching, suggesting that maternal environment rather than behaviour might affect the development of hand preference in Old World monkeys. Our findings seem partially to add to previous literature on perceptual lateralization in different species of non-primate mammals, reporting a lateral bias in mother-infant interactions. Given the incongruences between our study and previous research in great apes and humans, our results seem to suggest possible phylogenetic differences in the lateralization of mothers and infants within the Primates order.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Regaiolli
- Research & Conservation Department, Parco Natura Viva-Garda Zoological Park, Verona, Italy
| | - Caterina Spiezio
- Research & Conservation Department, Parco Natura Viva-Garda Zoological Park, Verona, Italy
| | - William Donald Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
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10
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Regaiolli B, Spiezio C, Hopkins WD. Hand preference on unimanual and bimanual tasks in Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22745. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2017] [Revised: 01/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Regaiolli
- Research and Conservation Department; Parco Natura Viva − Garda Zoological Park; Bussolengo (VR) Italy
| | - Caterina Spiezio
- Research and Conservation Department; Parco Natura Viva − Garda Zoological Park; Bussolengo (VR) Italy
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center; Georgia State University; Atlanta Georgia
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11
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Morino L, Uchikoshi M, Bercovitch F, Hopkins WD, Matsuzawa T. Tube task hand preference in captive hylobatids. Primates 2017; 58:403-412. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-017-0605-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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12
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Fan P, Liu C, Chen H, Liu X, Zhao D, Zhang J, Liu D. Preliminary study on hand preference in captive northern white-cheeked gibbons (Nomascus leucogenys). Primates 2016; 58:75-82. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-016-0573-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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13
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Zhao D, Wang Y, Wei X. Hand preference during bimanual coordinated task in northern pig-tailed macaques Macaca leonina. Curr Zool 2016; 62:385-391. [PMID: 29491927 PMCID: PMC5804279 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 08/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In humans, handedness is one defining characteristic regardless of cultures and ethnicity. Population-level right handedness is considered to be related with the evolution of left hemisphere for manual control and language. In order to further understand evolutionary origins of human cerebral lateralization and its behavioral adaptation, standardized measures on hand preference are required to make reliable comparison in nonhuman primate species. In this study, we present the first evidence on hand preference during bimanual coordinated tasks in northern pig-tailed macaques Macaca leonina. The classical TUBE task was applied to examine hand preference among nine individuals from Tianjin Zoo of China. We recorded and made analysis on both frequency and bout data on manual laterality. The results consistently show that subjects displayed strong individual hand preferences, whereas no significant group-level handedness was found. There were no sex and age significant differences on both direction and strength of hand preference. The M. leonina preferred to use the index finger to extract the baited food inside the tube. Our findings fill the knowledge gap on primate handedness, and efficiently affirm the robustness of the TUBE task as one efficient measure of hand preference in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dapeng Zhao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387.,Wildlife Institute, Beijing Forestry University, and.,Eco-Bridge Continental, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387
| | - Xueyan Wei
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387
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14
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Meguerditchian A, Phillips KA, Chapelain A, Mahovetz LM, Milne S, Stoinski T, Bania A, Lonsdorf E, Schaeffer J, Russell J, Hopkins WD. Handedness for Unimanual Grasping in 564 Great Apes: The Effect on Grip Morphology and a Comparison with Hand Use for a Bimanual Coordinated Task. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1794. [PMID: 26635693 PMCID: PMC4655229 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A number of factors have been proposed to influence within and between species variation in handedness in non-human primates. In the initial study, we assessed the influence of grip morphology on hand use for simple reaching in a sample of 564 great apes including 49 orangutans Pongo pygmaeus, 66 gorillas Gorilla gorilla, 354 chimpanzees Pan troglodytes and 95 bonobos Pan paniscus. Overall, we found a significant right hand bias for reaching. We also found a significant effect of the grip morphology of hand use. Grasping with the thumb and index finger was more prevalent in the right compared to left hand in all four species. There was no significant sex effect on the patterns of handedness. In a subsample of apes, we also compared consistency in hand use for simple reaching with previously published data on a task that measures handedness for bimanual actions. We found that the ratio of subjects with consistent right compared to left hand use was more prevalent in bonobos, chimpanzees and gorillas but not orangutans. However, for all species, the proportion of subjects with inconsistent hand preferences between the tasks was relatively high suggesting some measures may be more sensitive in assessing handedness than others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Meguerditchian
- CNRS, Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology, UMR 7290, Brain and Language Research Institute, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | | | - Amandine Chapelain
- CNRS, Laboratoire d’Éthologie Animale et Humaine EthoS, UMR 6552, Université de Rennes 1, Paimpont, France
| | | | - Scott Milne
- Department of Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA, USA
| | - Tara Stoinski
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Lonsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer Schaeffer
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jamie Russell
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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15
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Polo-Cavia N, Vázquez Z, de Miguel FJ. Asymmetry in food handling behavior of a tree-dwelling rodent (Sciurus vulgaris). PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118233. [PMID: 25714614 PMCID: PMC4340868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Asymmetry in motor patterns is present in a wide variety of animals. Many lateralized behaviors seem to depend on brain asymmetry, as it is the case of different tasks associated to food handling by several bird and mammal species. Here, we analyzed asymmetry in handling behavior of pine cones by red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris). Red squirrels devote most of their daily activity to feeding, thus this species constitutes an appropriate model for studying asymmetry in food processing. We aimed to explore 1) the potential lateralization in handling of pine cones by squirrels, 2) the dominant pattern for this behavior (left- vs. right-handed), and 3) whether this pattern varies among populations and depending on the pine tree species available. Results revealed that red squirrels handle pine cones in an asymmetrical way, and that direction of asymmetry varies among populations and seems to be determined more by local influences rather than by the pine tree species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Polo-Cavia
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Spanish National Museum of Natural History (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Zoraida Vázquez
- Department of Biology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
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16
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Pouydebat E, Borel A, Chotard H, Fragaszy D. Hand preference in fast-moving versus slow-moving actions in capuchin, Sapajus spp., and squirrel monkeys, Saimiri sciureus. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Sfar N, Mangalam M, Kaumanns W, Singh M. A comparative assessment of hand preference in captive red howler monkeys, Alouatta seniculus and yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys, Sapajus xanthosternos. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107838. [PMID: 25271639 PMCID: PMC4182683 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
There are two major theories that attempt to explain hand preference in non-human primates-the 'task complexity' theory and the 'postural origins' theory. In the present study, we proposed a third hypothesis to explain the evolutionary origin of hand preference in non-human primates, stating that it could have evolved owing to structural and functional adaptations to feeding, which we refer to as the 'niche structure' hypothesis. We attempted to explore this hypothesis by comparing hand preference across species that differ in the feeding ecology and niche structure: red howler monkeys, Alouatta seniculus and yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys, Sapajus xanthosternos. The red howler monkeys used the mouth to obtain food more frequently than the yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys. The red howler monkeys almost never reached for food presented on the opposite side of a wire mesh or inside a portable container, whereas the yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys reached for food presented in all four spatial arrangements (scattered, on the opposite side of a wire mesh, inside a suspended container, and inside a portable container). In contrast to the red howler monkeys that almost never acquired bipedal and clinging posture, the yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys acquired all five body postures (sitting, bipedal, tripedal, clinging, and hanging). Although there was no difference between the proportion of the red howler monkeys and the yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys that preferentially used one hand, the yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys exhibited an overall weaker hand preference than the red howler monkeys. Differences in hand preference diminished with the increasing complexity of the reaching-for-food tasks, i.e., the relatively more complex tasks were perceived as equally complex by both the red howler monkeys and the yellow-breasted capuchin monkeys. These findings suggest that species-specific differences in feeding ecology and niche structure can influence the perception of the complexity of the task and, consequently, hand preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasibah Sfar
- Department of Biology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Madhur Mangalam
- Biopsychology Laboratory and Institution of Excellence, University of Mysore, Mysore, India
| | | | - Mewa Singh
- Biopsychology Laboratory and Institution of Excellence, University of Mysore, Mysore, India
- Evolutionary & Organismal Biology Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore, India
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Mangalam M, Desai N, Singh M. Division of labor in hand usage in free-ranging bonnet macaques,Macaca radiata. Am J Primatol 2013; 76:576-85. [PMID: 24375912 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2013] [Revised: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Madhur Mangalam
- Biopsychology Laboratory; University of Mysore; Mysore India
| | - Nisarg Desai
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune; Pune India
| | - Mewa Singh
- Biopsychology Laboratory; University of Mysore; Mysore India
- Evolutionary & Organismal Biology Unit; Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research; Bangalore India
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Schnoell AV, Huebner F, Kappeler PM, Fichtel C. Manual lateralization in wild redfronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons) during spontaneous actions and in an experimental task. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 153:61-7. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Revised: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna V. Schnoell
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit,German Primate Center; Kellnerweg 4 37077 Göttingen Germany
- Courant Research Center “Evolution of Social Behavior”; University of Göttingen; Germany
| | - Franziska Huebner
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit,German Primate Center; Kellnerweg 4 37077 Göttingen Germany
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit,German Primate Center; Kellnerweg 4 37077 Göttingen Germany
- Courant Research Center “Evolution of Social Behavior”; University of Göttingen; Germany
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit,German Primate Center; Kellnerweg 4 37077 Göttingen Germany
- Courant Research Center “Evolution of Social Behavior”; University of Göttingen; Germany
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Canteloup C, Vauclair J, Meunier H. Hand preferences on unimanual and bimanual tasks in Tonkean macaques (Macaca tonkeana). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 152:315-21. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Canteloup
- Primatology Center of Strasbourg University; Fort Foch; Niederhausbergen; 67207; France
| | - Jacques Vauclair
- Center for Research on the Psychology of Cognition; Language and Emotion; Aix-Marseille University; 13621; Aix-en-Provence Cedex 1; France
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Meguerditchian A, Vauclair J, Hopkins WD. On the origins of human handedness and language: A comparative review of hand preferences for bimanual coordinated actions and gestural communication in nonhuman primates. Dev Psychobiol 2013; 55:637-50. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacques Vauclair
- Research Center in Psychology of Cognition, Language & Emotion; Aix-Marseille University; 13621; Aix-en-Provence; France
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Meunier H, Fizet J, Vauclair J. Tonkean macaques communicate with their right hand. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2013; 126:181-187. [PMID: 23748098 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2013.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Revised: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
There are two conflicting hypotheses to explain the origins of language. Vocal origin theory states that language results from the gradual evolution of animals' vocal communication, but gestural origin theory considers that language evolved from gestures, with the initial left-hemispheric control of manual gestures gradually encompassing vocalizations. To contribute to this debate, we investigated functional hemispheric specialization related to hand biases when grasping or showing an object through manual gesture in Tonkean macaques. The results of this study, the first quantitative study on Tonkean macaques' handedness, showed a remarkable convergence of the Tonkean macaques' handedness patterns with those of baboons and human infants, with hand preferences for manual communicative gestures significantly favoring the use of the right hand. Our findings support the hypothesis that left hemispheric lateralization for language is derived from a gestural communication system that was present in the common ancestor of macaques, baboons and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hélène Meunier
- Primatology Centre of Strasbourg University, Fort Foch, 67207 Niederhausbergen, France.
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Maille A, Rossard A, Blois-Heulin C. Manual laterality and strategy use for a coordinated bimanual task requiring precise and power grip in guenons and mangabeys. Am J Primatol 2013; 75:1096-107. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Revised: 04/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Maille
- UMR 6552 Ethos «Ethologie Animale et Humaine»; Université de Rennes 1 - CNRS, Station Biologique de Paimpont; France
| | - Arnaud Rossard
- UMR 6552 Ethos «Ethologie Animale et Humaine»; Université de Rennes 1 - CNRS, Station Biologique de Paimpont; France
| | - Catherine Blois-Heulin
- UMR 6552 Ethos «Ethologie Animale et Humaine»; Université de Rennes 1 - CNRS, Station Biologique de Paimpont; France
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Giljov A, Karenina K, Malashichev Y. Forelimb preferences in quadrupedal marsupials and their implications for laterality evolution in mammals. BMC Evol Biol 2013; 13:61. [PMID: 23497116 PMCID: PMC3599622 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-13-61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acquisition of upright posture in evolution has been argued to facilitate manual laterality in primates. Owing to the high variety of postural habits marsupials can serve as a suitable model to test whether the species-typical body posture shapes forelimb preferences in non-primates or this phenomenon emerged only in the course of primate evolution. In the present study we aimed to explore manual laterality in marsupial quadrupeds and compare them with the results in the previously studied bipedal species. Forelimb preferences were assessed in captive grey short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) and sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) in four different types of unimanual behaviour per species, which was not artificially evoked. We examined the possible effects of sex, age and task, because these factors have been reported to affect motor laterality in placental mammals. RESULTS In both species the direction of forelimb preferences was strongly sex-related. Male grey short-tailed opossums showed right-forelimb preference in most of the observed unimanual behaviours, while male sugar gliders displayed only a slight, not significant rightward tendency. In contrast, females in both species exhibited consistent group-level preference of the left forelimb. We failed to reveal significant differences in manual preferences between tasks of potentially differing complexity: reaching a stable food item and catching live insects, as well as between the body support and food manipulation. No influence of subjects' age on limb preferences was found. CONCLUSIONS The direction of sex-related differences in the manual preferences found in quadrupedal marsupials seems to be not typical for placental mammals. We suggest that the alternative way of interhemispheric connection in absence of corpus callosum may result in a fundamentally distinct mechanism of sex effect on limb preferences in marsupials compared to placentals. Our data confirm the idea that non-primate mammals differ from primates in sensitivity to task complexity. Comparison of marsupial species studied to date indicate that the vertical body orientation and the bipedalism favor the expression of individual- and population-level forelimb preferences in marsupials much like it does in primates. Our findings give the first evidence for the effect of species-typical posture on the manual laterality in non-primate mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Giljov
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Karina Karenina
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yegor Malashichev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Embryology, Saint Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Giljov A, Karenina K, Malashichev Y. Does bipedality predict the group-level manual laterality in mammals? PLoS One 2012; 7:e51583. [PMID: 23251583 PMCID: PMC3520930 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Factors determining patterns of laterality manifestation in mammals remain unclear. In primates, the upright posture favours the expression of manual laterality across species, but may have little influence within a species. Whether the bipedalism acts the same in non-primate mammals is unknown. Our recent findings in bipedal and quadrupedal marsupials suggested that differences in laterality pattern, as well as emergence of manual specialization in evolution might depend on species-specific body posture. Here, we evaluated the hypothesis that the postural characteristics are the key variable shaping the manual laterality expression across mammalian species. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We studied forelimb preferences in a most bipedal marsupial, brush-tailed bettong, Bettongia penicillata in four different types of unimanual behavior. The significant left-forelimb preference at the group level was found in all behaviours studied. In unimanual feeding on non-living food, catching live prey and nest-material collecting, all or most subjects were lateralized, and among lateralized bettongs a significant majority displayed left-forelimb bias. Only in unimanual supporting of the body in the tripedal stance the distribution of lateralized and non-lateralized individuals did not differ from chance. Individual preferences were consistent across all types of behaviour. The direction or the strength of forelimb preferences were not affected by the animals' sex. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our findings support the hypothesis that the expression of manual laterality depends on the species-typical postural habit. The interspecies comparison illustrates that in marsupials the increase of bipedality corresponds with the increase of the degree of group-level forelimb preference in a species. Thus, bipedalism can predict pronounced manual laterality at both intra- and interspecific levels in mammals. We also conclude that quadrupedal position in biped species can slightly hinder the expression of manual laterality, but the evoked biped position in quadrupedal species does not necessarily lead to the enhanced manifestation of manual laterality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey Giljov
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Karina Karenina
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Yegor Malashichev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Department of Embryology, Saint-Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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Joly M, Scheumann M, Zimmermann E. Posture does not matter! Paw usage and grasping paw preference in a small-bodied rooting quadrupedal mammal. PLoS One 2012; 7:e38228. [PMID: 22666494 PMCID: PMC3364208 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2012] [Accepted: 05/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent results in birds, marsupials, rodents and nonhuman primates suggest that phylogeny and ecological factors such as body size, diet and postural habit of a species influence limb usage and the direction and strength of limb laterality. To examine to which extent these findings can be generalised to small-bodied rooting quadrupedal mammals, we studied trees shrews (Tupaia belangeri). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We established a behavioural test battery for examining paw usage comparable to small-bodied primates and tested 36 Tupaia belangeri. We studied paw usage in a natural foraging situation (simple food grasping task) and measured the influence of varying postural demands (triped, biped, cling, sit) on paw preferences by applying a forced-food grasping task similar to other small-bodied primates. Our findings suggest that rooting tree shrews prefer mouth over paw usage to catch food in a natural foraging situation. Moreover, we demonstrated that despite differences in postural demand, tree shrews show a strong and consistent individual paw preference for grasping across different tasks, but no paw preference at a population level. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Tree shrews showed less paw usage than small-bodied quadrupedal and arboreal primates, but the same paw preference. Our results confirm that individual paw preferences remain constant irrespective of postural demand in some small-bodied quadrupedal non primate and primate mammals which do not require fine motoric control for manipulating food items. Our findings suggest that the lack of paw/hand preference for grasping food at a population level is a universal pattern among those species and that the influence of postural demand on manual lateralisation in quadrupeds may have evolved in large-bodied species specialised in fine manipulations of food items.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Joly
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
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Zhao D, Hopkins WD, Li B. Handedness in nature: first evidence on manual laterality on bimanual coordinated tube task in wild primates. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 148:36-44. [PMID: 22410843 PMCID: PMC3342595 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2011] [Accepted: 01/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Handedness is a defining feature of human manual skill and understanding the origin of manual specialization remains a central topic of inquiry in anthropology and other sciences. In this study, we examined hand preference in a sample of wild primates on a task that requires bimanual coordinated actions (tube task) that has been widely used in captive primates. The Sichuan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is an arboreal Old World monkey species that is endemic to China, and 24 adult individuals from the Qinling Mountains of China were included for the analysis of hand preference in the tube task. All subjects showed strong individual hand preferences and significant group-level left-handedness was found. There were no significant differences between males and females for either direction or strength of hand preference. Strength of hand preferences of adults was significantly greater than juveniles. Use of the index finger to extract the food was the dominant extractive-act. Our findings represent the first evidence of population-level left-handedness in wild Old World monkeys and broaden our knowledge on evaluating primate hand preference via experimental manipulation in natural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dapeng Zhao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cyto-Genetical and Molecular Regulation, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA 30030, USA
- Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Baoguo Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
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Mosquera M, Geribàs N, Bargalló A, Llorente M, Riba D. Complex tasks force hand laterality and technological behaviour in naturalistically housed chimpanzees: inferences in hominin evolution. ScientificWorldJournal 2012; 2012:514809. [PMID: 22550466 PMCID: PMC3323904 DOI: 10.1100/2012/514809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2011] [Accepted: 11/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Clear hand laterality patterns in humans are widely accepted. However, humans only elicit a significant hand laterality pattern when performing complementary role differentiation (CRD) tasks. Meanwhile, hand laterality in chimpanzees is weaker and controversial. Here we have reevaluated our results on hand laterality in chimpanzees housed in naturalistic environments at Fundació Mona (Spain) and Chimfunshi Wild Orphanage (Zambia). Our results show that the difference between hand laterality in humans and chimpanzees is not as great as once thought. Furthermore, we found a link between hand laterality and task complexity and also an even more interesting connection: CRD tasks elicited not only the hand laterality but also the use of tools. This paper aims to turn attention to the importance of this threefold connection in human evolution: the link between CRD tasks, hand laterality, and tool use, which has important evolutionary implications that may explain the development of complex behaviour in early hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mosquera
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), Campus Catalunya, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain.
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Meguerditchian A, Donnot J, Molesti S, Francioly R, Vauclair J. Sex difference in squirrel monkeys’ handedness for unimanual and bimanual coordinated tasks. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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30
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Giljov A, Karenina K, Malashichev Y. Limb preferences in a marsupial, Macropus rufogriseus: evidence for postural effect. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Laurence A, Wallez C, Blois-Heulin C. Task complexity, posture, age, sex: Which is the main factor influencing manual laterality in captiveCercocebus torquatus torquatus? Laterality 2011; 16:586-606. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2010.501338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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32
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Meunier H, Blois-Heulin C, Vauclair J. A new tool for measuring hand preference in non-human primates: Adaptation of Bishop's Quantifying Hand Preference task for Olive baboons. Behav Brain Res 2011; 218:1-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2010] [Revised: 10/30/2010] [Accepted: 11/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Llorente M, Riba D, Palou L, Carrasco L, Mosquera M, Colell M, Feliu O. Population-level right-handedness for a coordinated bimanual task in naturalistic housed chimpanzees: replication and extension in 114 animals from Zambia and Spain. Am J Primatol 2010; 73:281-90. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2010] [Revised: 09/15/2010] [Accepted: 09/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Meguerditchian A, Calcutt SE, Lonsdorf EV, Ross SR, Hopkins WD. Brief communication: Captive gorillas are right-handed for bimanual feeding. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2010; 141:638-45. [PMID: 20033918 PMCID: PMC2909605 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Predominance of right-handedness has historically been considered as a hallmark of human evolution. Whether nonhuman primates exhibit population-level manual bias remains a controversial topic. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that bimanual coordinated activities may be a key-behavior in our ancestors for the emergence and evolution of human population-level right-handedness. To this end, we collected data on hand preferences in 35 captive gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) during simple unimanual reaching and for bimanual coordinated feeding. Unimanual reaching consisted of grasping food on the ground, while bimanual feeding consisted of using one hand for holding a food and processing the food item by the opposite hand. No population-level manual bias was found for unimanual actions but, in contrast, gorillas exhibited a significant population-level right-handedness for the bimanual actions. Moreover, the degree of right-handedness for bimanual feeding exceeds any other known reports of hand use in primates, suggesting that lateralization for bimanual feeding is robust in captive gorillas. The collective evidence is discussed in the context of potential continuity of handedness between human and nonhuman primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Meguerditchian
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Psychology of Cognition, Language and Emotion, Aix-Marseille University, 13621 Aix-en-Provence, France
- Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA
| | - Sarah E. Calcutt
- The Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA
| | - Elizabeth V. Lonsdorf
- The Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA
| | - Stephen R. Ross
- The Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30329, USA
- Department of Psychology, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia 30030, USA
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35
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Zhao D, Gao X, Li B. Hand preference for spontaneously unimanual and bimanual coordinated tasks in wild Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys: Implication for hemispheric specialization. Behav Brain Res 2010; 208:85-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2009] [Revised: 11/03/2009] [Accepted: 11/06/2009] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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36
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Manual Laterality for Simple Reaching and Bimanual Coordinated Task in Naturalistic Housed Pan troglodytes. INT J PRIMATOL 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-009-9338-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Visual laterality responses to different emotive stimuli by red-capped mangabeys, Cercocebus torquatus torquatus. Anim Cogn 2008; 12:31-42. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-008-0166-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2008] [Revised: 05/26/2008] [Accepted: 05/28/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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38
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Schmitt V, Melchisedech S, Hammerschmidt K, Fischer J. Hand preferences in Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). Laterality 2008; 13:143-57. [PMID: 18302057 DOI: 10.1080/13576500701757532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Nearly 90% of humans are right-handed, raising the question of the evolutionary origins of this trait. While lateralisation of certain actions appears to be widespread in vertebrates, the question of whether nonhuman primates exhibit hand preferences at the population level is often contested. We observed Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) living in the outdoor enclosure "La Forêt des Singes" at Rocamadour, France, while performing simple unimanual and coordinated bimanual tasks. For the unimanual task, we recorded continuously which hand they used reaching for grains. For the coordinated bimanual tasks, a semi-transparent box and a tube baited with peanut butter were presented to the macaques and the hand used to open the box or reach into the tube, respectively, was recorded. We found no significant hand preference in any of the tasks at the population level, but found individual hand preferences, the extent of which varied among individuals. For the unimanual, but not the bimanual task, we found that the handedness index increased with age. Our results add to the growing body of evidence that monkeys do not show hand preference at the population level.
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Hand preference during unimanual and bimanual reaching actions in Sichuan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellana). Am J Primatol 2008; 70:500-4. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2007] [Revised: 10/30/2007] [Accepted: 10/31/2007] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Lilak AL, Phillips KA. Consistency of hand preference across low-level and high-level tasks in Capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Am J Primatol 2008; 70:254-60. [PMID: 17894405 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies investigating behavioral lateralization in capuchins have been published. Although some research groups have reported a population-level hand preference, other researchers have argued that capuchins do not show hand preference at the population level. As task complexity influences the expression of handedness in other primate species, the purpose of this study was to collect hand preference data across a variety of high- and low-level tasks to evaluate how task complexity influences the expression of hand preference in capuchins. We tested eleven captive brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) to determine if they show consistent hand preferences across multiple high- and low-level tasks. Capuchins were expected to display high intertask consistency across the high-level tasks but not the low-level tasks. Although most individuals showed significant hand preferences for each task, only two of the high-level tasks that involved similar hand motions were significantly positively correlated, indicating consistency of hand preference across these tasks only. None of the tasks elicited a group-level hand preference. High-level tasks elicited a greater strength of hand preference than did low-level tasks. No sex differences were found for the direction or strength of hand preference for any task. These results contribute to the growing database of primate laterality and provide additional evidence that capuchins do not display group-level hand preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alayna L Lilak
- Department of Psychology, Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio 44234-0067, USA
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Schweitzer C, Bec P, Blois-Heulin C. Does the Complexity of the Task Influence Manual Laterality in De Brazza’s Monkeys (Cercopithecus neglectus)? Ethology 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01405.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Phillips KA, Hopkins WD. Exploring the relationship between cerebellar asymmetry and handedness in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and capuchins (Cebus apella). Neuropsychologia 2007; 45:2333-9. [PMID: 17382360 PMCID: PMC1951511 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2006] [Revised: 01/03/2007] [Accepted: 02/16/2007] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A comparative study of chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and capuchin monkey (Cebus apella) cerebellar asymmetry and its relationship to handedness was conducted. Magnetic resonance images of the brain and behavioral data on a coordinated bimanual task were obtained from 16 chimpanzees and 11 capuchins. Chimpanzees displayed a greater rightward bias of the posterior cerebellum and capuchins displayed a greater leftward bias of the anterior cerebellum. Cerebellar asymmetries were significantly associated with handedness in capuchins but not chimpanzees, and this effect was most pronounced in right-handed capuchins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley A Phillips
- Department of Psychology, Hiram College, 11715 Garfield Road, Hiram, OH 44234, USA.
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