title: On the origins of human laterality: environmental and hereditary variables in a sample of children.
abstract: On the basis of operationally defined handedness data from 1,348 subjects of both sexes and of ages 10 to 15 years, laterality was compared with prehistorical data of handprints found in caves. It was hypothesized that the greater production of left handprints found in caves in comparison with current data should be ascribed to a nonestablished deviation of lefthanders towards righthandedness as environmental pressures in the distant past were lower.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento de Psicologia Generale, University of Padua, Padova, Italia.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Gallo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Angioletti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Viviani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001154:Art; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000235:genetics*; D005824:Genetics, Behavioral; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010163:Paleontology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population; D014956:Writing