New research suggests right-handedness prevailed 500,000 years ago

University of Kansas -- KU News ^ | April 18, 2011 | Brendan M. Lynch

[wildbill]

ok, what came first? Righthandedness or a right to left curve in a certain part of the male anatomy???

[Explorer89]

“They say lefties have greater spatial awareness over right-handed people.”

I worked with a great many very brilliant engineers, and it was amazing how many of them were left-handed. I was the stupid righty. I was also the go-to for proof-reading and editing papers. Interesting.

[Bigg Red]

I wonder what effect on brain patterns this change in hand usage had on our parents.

[brytlea]

Reread after a good night’s sleep and a few cups of coffee and it makes sense! :) My husband’s family has some lefties, altho none of my kids (nor my hubby) are lefties. My sister in law is very ambidexterous, which is really handy. I am barely dexterous, on the other hand. ;)

[brytlea]

I guess changing handedness wasn’t universal. My FIL was a lefty and he was born in 1923. I wonder if some places were not doing that, or some kids just ignored them (he was pretty feisty) or if it was regional?

[SunkenCiv]

Hey, I won’t touch that debate with a, uh, never mind.

[SunkenCiv]

This is pretty interesting.

[SunkenCiv]

LOL!

[colorado tanker]

I haven't seen any research, but supposedly there is a higher incidence of stammering among lefties. The story is forcing lefties to write right-handed can cause stammering, as in King George VI of The King's Speech fame.

[TigersEye]

Thanks. I thought you would like the tie in.

[SunkenCiv]

Left-handed kitties, they’re everywhere!

[SunkenCiv]

Luckily they don’t have much to say anyway.

[ow! ow! ouch! yeeouch!]

[TigersEye]

Left handed tom cats. They come from the land of ice and snow!

[Bigg Red]

Since he was born in 1923, post-WWI, your FIL would have been learning to write around 1929, when, I would think, educators had become more enlightened about handedness. My father would have started school around 1917 with teachers of a different world view.

[wildbill]

Ten foot pole? In your dreams.

[brytlea]

Ah, maybe that’s why. I never asked him about it.

[SunkenCiv]

I have to be careful what I dream, else I could give myself a black eye. Water’s cold. And deep.

[Does so]

Good one—just in case no one else noticed!