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Journal Articles Folia Primatologica Year : 2010

Influence of the Task on Hand Preference: Individual Differences among Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Abstract

The degree of task complexity and bimanual complementarity have been proposed as factors affecting lateralization strength in humans. However, a large number of studies have demonstrated group-level lateral hand bias for different manual activities in numerous non-human primate species. However, no study has tested the effects that a variety of tasks may have in inducing differences in hand preference. Here, we aim to test if 3 adult gorillas exhibited a greater hand preference bias performing 4 tasks of varying complexity: grasping small versus large foods, proto-tool use task and tool use task involving greater visuospatial requirements. We found that (1) the complexity of the task does not necessarily induce a right-handed bias and (2) a subject can be right-handed for a complex task and left-handed for another one. These results, complemented by many publications on hand preference in non-human primates, reveal a great variability in hand preference, which makes it very difficult to deduce any details of hominin handedness with artefacts.
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Dates and versions

hal-01342026 , version 1 (05-07-2016)

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E. Pouydebat, E. Reghem, P. Gorce, V. Bels. Influence of the Task on Hand Preference: Individual Differences among Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Folia Primatologica, 2010, 81 (5), pp.273--281. ⟨10.1159/000322552⟩. ⟨hal-01342026⟩
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