Humans are the only primates with a lopsided hand preference
Humans uniquely exhibit a strong hand preference compared to other primates. A study suggests that this preference is linked to our larger brains and bipedalism, which allowed for specialization in hand use. The research indicates that right-handedness has been hardwired in humans over evolutionary time, with varying degrees of preference observed in earlier hominins.
- ▪Humans are the only primates with a significant population-level hand preference, with 90% being right-handed.
- ▪The study analyzed over 2,000 primates and concluded that our big brains and bipedalism contribute to this right-hand bias.
- ▪As human brains evolved, dedicating one hemisphere to fine-motor and linguistic tasks became efficient, reinforcing right-handedness.
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| Original publisher | Boing Boing |
| Canonical URL | https://boingboing.net/2026/05/20/humans-are-the-only-primates-with-a-lopsided-hand-preference.html |
| Publication time | Thu, 21 May 2026 00:23:11 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-21T00:45:03.143Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-21T00:45:03.143Z |
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Humans are the only primates with a lopsided hand preference Ellsworth Toohey 5:23 pm Wed May 20, 2026 image: Svetliy/Shuterstock Of all the monkeys and apes scientists have studied, no species shows a population-level hand preference. Individual primates often have strong biases, and chimpanzees, gorillas, and a few other species lean slightly to the right or left as groups, but not nearly as much as humans. Among humans, 90% are right-handed, and that holds true in every culture ever studied, past and present.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Boing Boing.
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