Most Neanderthals Were Right-Handed Like Us

Live Science ^ | 8-24-2012 | Megan Gannon

[Renfield]

Right-handed humans vastly outnumber lefties by a ratio of about nine to one, and the same may have been true for Neanderthals. Researchers say right-hand dominance in the extinct species suggests that, like humans, they also had the capacity for language.

A new analysis of the skeleton of a 20-something Neanderthal man confirms that he was a righty like most of his European caveman cousins whose remains have been studied by scientists (16 of 18 specimens). Dubbed "Regourdou," the skeleton was discovered in 1957 in France, not far from the famous network of caves at Lascaux....

[Renfield]

If Neanderthals were indeed right-handed, that "confirms a modern pattern of left brain dominance, presumably [signalling] linguistic competence," the researchers write in their paper published online Aug. 22 in the journal PLoS ONE. (In humans, the left side of the brain plays a primary role in language.)

"The long-known connection between brain asymmetry, handedness and language in living populations serves as a proxy for estimating brain lateralization in the fossil record and the likelihood of language capacity in fossils," the researchers, led by Virginie Volpato of the Senckenberg Institute in Frankfurt, Germany, write.

[Renfield]

Ping

[andyk]

Right-handed humans vastly outnumber lefties by a ratio of about nine to one

But lefties are smarter, funnier, and much better looking.

[GunRunner]

I’m not prejudiced against left-handed people, but I honestly don’t understand why we don’t actively teach kids to write with their right hand. Any time I see someone writing with their left hand it looks so ridiculous.

[Reily]

don't forget gayer....definitely gayer !

<...waiting for the outrage to build....>

that's a joke !

[Vaquero]

I’m not prejudiced against left-handed people, but I honestly don’t understand why we don’t actively teach kids to write with their right hand. Any time I see someone writing with their left hand it looks so ridiculous

Your sarc is dry and funny....either that, or you went to the Todd Akins school of logic and human reproduction.

[GunRunner]

Maybe lefties are preparing for our eventual Arab or Chinese overlords. Writing with your left hand in a Western country makes as much sense as walking backwards, but is a distinct advantage if you’re writing in Arabic or Chinese.

[GunRunner]

So it’s logical to write with your left hand? Please elaborate.

[Starstruck]

Yeah I remember when my first grade teacher turned me into a righty with a ruler across the knuckles. I still throw and shoot left-handed.

[Sacajaweau]

So this proves what??

Here's how it went: They lined up all 18 corpses and tossed a ball to each.....One swatted it, one ate it, one gave it to his wife, one fed it to his jack ass, one buried it, one traded it for beans, one brought it to school for show and tell, one cooked it with spaghetti, one used it for an earring, one said "wheel", one said "fuutball", one said "head"...one said "Are these guys stupid?" and they all went back to their watering hole.

[libertarian27]

:>)

[MaxMax]

Wow, and I bet they had two eyeballs.

[Bernard]

If Neanderthals were indeed right-handed

That's funny; I consider most right-handed people to be Neanderthals. Including people who make remarks about, "why don't we teach (force) all children to write right-handed?"

[libertarian27]

[skinkinthegrass]

Here's how it went: They lined up all 18 corpsesold joke...they're dead, jim (& i didn't scroll dn.)...
and yes, I'm a southpaw...(left-hand)
...got a problem w/ that? :-)

[GunRunner]

Nothing wrong with shooting, throwing, batting, or fencing left handed, but writing with your left hand makes absolutely no sense since you can’t see what you’re writing. Just seems like common sense to me.

[dsrtsage]

I am somewhat left handed. I cannot write at all with my left hand, as I do not seem to have fine control for writing or drawing with it. However, I throw left handed as I have good control and power, but I punch right handed as I do not have control or power to punch with my left hand (different muscle groups I guess). As far as all other mundane tasks (such as eating), I use either hand interchangeably.

[dsrtsage]

Oh yeah, I throw left handed, but bat right handed, but golf left handed, and bowl right handed

[edpc]

I would give my right arm to be ambidextrous.

[daniel1212]

And 46% were Republican, 36% Democratic, and 18% Independent