Grip preference, dermatoglyphics, and hand use in captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
Corresponding Author
William D. Hopkins
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Department of Psychology, Berry College, Mount Berry, Georgia 30149
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30322Search for more papers by this authorJamie L. Russell
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Search for more papers by this authorAutumn Hostetter
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Search for more papers by this authorDawn Pilcher
Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Search for more papers by this authorJeremy F. Dahl
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
William D. Hopkins
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Department of Psychology, Berry College, Mount Berry, Georgia 30149
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30322Search for more papers by this authorJamie L. Russell
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Search for more papers by this authorAutumn Hostetter
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Search for more papers by this authorDawn Pilcher
Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Search for more papers by this authorJeremy F. Dahl
Division of Psychobiology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
This paper examined the association between grip type, hand use, and fingerprint patterns in a sample of captive chimpanzees. Grip type for simple reaching was assessed for the left and right hand and classified as thumb-index, middle-index, or single-digit responses. Fingerprint patterns were characterized as whorls, loops, or arches on each finger. The results indicated that chimpanzees exhibit significantly more thumb-index responses for the right compared to the left hand. In addition, thumb-index responses were more prevalent for subjects that had a whorl compared to a loop or arch on their thumb. The results suggest that fingerprint patterns are associated with individual differences in grasping type in chimpanzees as well as some variation in hand use. Am J Phys Anthropol 128:57-62, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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