So why hasn't left-handedness been exterminated through natural selection?
Well, it seems that there was one area where left-handed people excelled; combat. And this is why some scientists believe left-handed people have survived to pass on their genes.
I have heard that on average, left handed people die 6 years earlier than right handed people but I’ve always wondered how they would know that. I’m a left handed female. We’re very rare (also special and precious and wonderful). I used to be sort of ambidextrous but now my right side is just there to keep me from falling over. I don’t know my left from my right and unless I can look down at my hands cannot tell you which is which. i.e., unlike most people I have to think about it. I came into the southern parochial schools just after it had been told to them NOT to try to change me. My grandmother very gently encouraged me to be right handed but it didn’t work. But although I was allowed to use my left hand, I had to learn to write with a fountain pen and hold it and position my paper as if I were right handed. As a result, I had a royal blue stain on my left index finger most of my childhood. I’ve been told that for a female to be left handed, my mother must have had too much testosterone in her system. I’m not sure what that means. I’ve also been told that I was one half of mirror twins but my sister died before birth and was absorbed. That’s actually sort of cool and I plan to meet her in heaven. My granddaughter who is not biologically related to me is also left handed which is also cool and what are the odds of that? I love being left handed.