Why do we naturally favour one hand over the other?
In: Biology
It is a mixture of nature and nurture.
Evolution has caused the left hand side of the brain (which controls the hand) to control language and speech in most (but not all) people. It is thought that two potential alleles (part of genes) control hand dominance. If you have a D-allele (which the majority do) then you will very likely be right handed. If you have a c-allele then you have a 50/50 chance of being right or left handed. Thus a random person is more likely to be right handed – about 85% of the world’s population.
However, as fine motor skills are a learned skill it is quite possible to teach someone to have a dominant hand, at least if you do so at an early age. Likewise if you suffer an injury to your dominant hand, it is quite possible to either become more ambidextrous switch dominant hand. It is not a genetic instruction written in stone.
Latest Answers