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. 2016 Aug;62(4):385-391.
doi: 10.1093/cz/zow064. Epub 2016 Jul 27.

Hand preference during bimanual coordinated task in northern pig-tailed macaques Macaca leonina

Dapeng Zhao  1   2   3 , Yuan Wang  1 , Xueyan Wei  1
Affiliations

Hand preference during bimanual coordinated task in northern pig-tailed macaques Macaca leonina

Dapeng Zhao et al. Curr Zool. 2016 Aug.

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.

Keywords: Macaca leonina; bimanual coordination; hand preference; primate evolution..

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The northern pig-tailed macaque Macaca leonina.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Sex differences on hand preference in the tube task (black color: males; white color: females). (A) Frequency data. (B) Bout data.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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