The theory of the absence of differences in the ratio of the lengths of the fingers of men and women was refuted

The theory of the absence of differences in the ratio of the lengths of the fingers of men and women was refuted
The theory of the absence of differences in the ratio of the lengths of the fingers of men and women was refuted
Anonim

Russian scientists have refuted the theory that calls into question the sex differences in the ratio of the lengths of the index and ring fingers in men and women, which are due to the action of hormones on the embryo. The research results were published by the scientific journal Scientific Reports, the press service of the Higher School of Economics writes briefly about this.

For a long time, ordinary people noticed that in men, the ring finger on the hand is most often longer than the index finger, and in women it is shorter or of the same length. They tried to explain this fact in different ways: for example, they associated it with the division of labor between men and women among ancient hunters and gatherers.

Modern scientists suggest that sex differences in the ratio of finger lengths are related to how the sex hormones - androgens and estrogens - act on the fetus in the womb. Other researchers believe that this feature of the anatomy is of an accidental or non-hormonal nature.

Russian scholars led by Maria Butovskaya of the Higher School of Economics have questioned the validity of one of these theories, which denies the sexual nature of these differences. According to this theory, the difference in finger length between men and women is associated with uneven growth of finger bones in different sexes during childhood and adolescence. As a result, men have longer fingers on average.

To test this hypothesis, the researchers collected data on the device of the hands for about 7, 5 thousand people of different ages, including immigrants from Europe, Africa and Asia. The researchers compared the typical finger lengths for men and women in each population with how the lengths of their index and ring fingers were related.

In their study, Butovskaya and her colleagues proceeded from a simple reason. If the growth conditions of the fingers of men and women affect the ratio of the lengths of the index and ring fingers, then there will be a statistical relationship between these indicators, and for people from all three regions it will be approximately the same.

Measurements showed that the typical finger lengths of men and women from Russia, Armenia and Tanzania differed markedly. At the same time, it varied greatly for different age groups. And the ratio of the lengths of the index and ring fingers for all representatives of both sexes was approximately the same.

In particular, the scientists found that boys and girls under 13 had about the same average finger length, while differences in the ratio of the lengths of the second and fourth toes were already pronounced. Therefore, Butovskaya and her colleagues believe that the alternative theory is incorrect and the differences in the ratio of the length of the fingers in men and women are still hormonal and sexual in nature.

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