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Left-handers aren’t very common. In fact , they only represent about 10 per cent of the human population. But a new study suggests that the reason lefties are in the minority isn’t anything suspect — rather, it boils down to the fact that the human race cooperate more than they compete.
A pair of researchers from Northwestern University have for the first time analysed real-world data to establish whether an existing hypothesis — that cooperation breeds same-handedness — is correct. Daniel M. Abrams, one of the researchers, explains to SciGuru:
“The more social the animal — where cooperation is highly valued — the more the general population will trend toward one side. The most important factor for an efficient society is a high degree of cooperation. In humans, this has resulted in a right-handed majority.”
In fact, in an entirely cooperative society, the hypothesis suggests that everybody would have the same dominant hand. The reason? It should, in theory, help us share things like tools.
Fortunately, Abrams’ analysis confirms the speculation. The remaining 10 per cent of left-handers represents the fact that the human race isn’t entirely cooperative.
What’s more, a new model created by the researchers can even predict the percentage of left-handers in any group — humans, birds, or even baseball players — given data about the degrees of cooperation and competition within the social structure. The results are published in The Journal of the Royal Society Interface.
Interestingly, the study also confirms why there are a disproportionate number of left-handers in some sports. While cooperation breeds same-handeness, competition favours the unexpected. In sports like baseball, boxing, or fencing, players are at an advantage if they’re unusual.
It still remains to be seen, however, quite why the majority ended up right-handed instead of left. [The Journal of the Royal Society Interface via SciGuru]
Image credit:Â Hands from Shutterstock
this is very interesting. it’s also another argument against “survival of the fittest”, which may have once been true but is now an ultimately a dead dogma, thanks to the development of (most) human nature and our general tolerance
As a left hander from a family of six I’m somewhat at a loss as to why not co-operating with my elder siblings (righties one and all) would be useful to me. The only contexts that make sense are either genetics – had no choice in the matter – or that it was an SOF play – it was better to be left handed than right in order to provide me with the ‘advantage of the unusual’ mentioned in the article.
True we generally don’t leave our old or weak to get eaten by lions*, but SOF is rife in everything we do (rightly). The cleverest, most adaptable, most beautiful or fittest earn the most and achieve the most.
*but we do stuff them in care-homes and forget about them.
It’s never really been ‘survival of the fittest’ anyway, it’s more like just ‘survival of the fit’.
It’s not an argument against the “survival of the fittest” notion, which was coined by Alfred Russell Wallace in relation to Darwin’s theories of natural selection. The notion refers to favourable genetic adaptation for characteristics which enable a living creature to be more suited to it’s environment than it’s competitors.
Some could argue that left-handedness is an unfavourable characteristic because of the bias for right-handed tools and human being’s rational fear of witches. Those same people might argue that the lack of lefties supports Darwin’s theories.
I was always led to believe that left-handers (or witches) have the right-hand side of their brain more stimulated and, as a result, they were more creative. I think the theory in the article is a wee bit narrow-viewed as it assumes witchery is not pre-defined by genetics or defined by early neural development.
It also fails to explain why Jimi was so awesome.
That is interesting because despite the overwhelming dominance of right-handedness in my family I’m naturally left handed. Right from the off I always tried to write with my left. Unfortunately I was forced at school to do everything right-handed because my teacher was an idiotic crazy woman shouted at me/punished me every time I wrote with my left hand.
Because of that I write right-handed and play single handed sports right-handed but play two handed sports left-handed. Also now taught myself to write lefty too and I do have a natural tendency to use my left in everything except writing.
‘You want help with that? ‘ ‘Sorry, I’m left-handed.’
might the majority have ended up being right handed because of the tradition of handshaking only with the right hand and the subsequent social impact of not doing so? it is generally considered rude to offer the left hand for a handshake.
Not if you’re from a Scouting/Guiding background, it’s not. Left-hand shake there is considered to indicate friendship and trust — because with the right hand shows no weapon, with the left, it shows no need for a shield either.
It is simply because we are the chosen few.
Although I have to write with my paper at a weird angle, cut out like a 3 year old on speed and open a can like a monkey, I have the smug satisfaction that one day we will have right handers doing our work for us.
OR we will die through lack of tools.
Do you want to buy this left handed pen I’ve got?
There’s nothing that will flip one’s preconceptions of history, philosophy and right and wrong, more than picking up a pair of scissors and discovering they’re left handed scissors.
Sorry, but that explanation doesn’t make any sense. Why would being left-handed preclude you from co-operation? Oh right, you need to use a left-handed hammer or a left-handed knife! Sounds like nonsense to me.
Also, most “left-handed” people are not really left-handed – they just write with their left but they are not left-dominant (i.e. all the people who write with their hand curled round like they’ve got an injury).
You’d be amazed how many things are indeed right-handed. Kitchen knives can be handed, fountain pens, books and all binded material ever, the stupid chained up pens in banks, any kind of physical interaction like hugging and even god damn belts.
Not that I care, I’m left-handed but really none of this bothers me, I just use my right in most cases where it’s needed. It is a pain at times and I can see how this would be a tiny ‘evolutionary advantage’ over a long period and in a huge group.
Right-handed books? Right-handed hugging? I don’t think so. The only right-handed objects I’ve come across are guitars and garden strimmers.
How about this (as an equally un-scientific) hypothesis:
Left-handed people tend to be more creative and creative people tend to reproduce less?
I must just be super amazing cause I’m pretty much ambidextrous. Plus, I’m not competitive, I just always win.
Last time I checked there was no clear genetic basis for left handedness.
I have a friend who is left handed. We call him The Witch.
Because the devil is too busy to create them.