Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
1) Lomonosov Moscow State University, Anuchin Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Mochovaya st., 11, Moscow, 125009, Russia; 2) Human Population Biology Research Unit, Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
Chumakova A.M., e-mail: achumakova@mail.ru; Kobyliansky Eugene, PhD, anatom14@post.tau.ac.il
To complete the anthropological characteristics of a unique group of Southern Sinai’s Bedouin tribes it seems reasonable to evaluate data on the lateral asymmetry of functional traits. The aim of the work was to investigate the prevalence of lateral traits in South Sinai’s Bedouins based on the Sinai expedition at Tel Aviv University 1979–1982. Material and methods. 1061 men and 172 women were examined. A number of lateral motility traits like handedness/leading hand (determined by the survey, followed by a double check spelling of text), the type of «hands-clasping» when folded palms, the type of «arm-folding» at the level of the chest – «Napoleon’s posture», and the single sensor lateral trait – dominant eye (defined by Dolman’s test «with a hole in a card») were examined. For these traits, Spearman correlations and frequency of observed combinations were studied. Differences between sexes were estimated by ч2 method. Results. For the whole population the proportion of left-handed Bedouin-men was 6,62%, the proportion of female dextrals – 5,1, while the percentage of ambidexterity among women was significantly higher – 2,27% versus 0,47% for men. The same trend to more frequent cases of equivalent preferences in motility of the upper limbs in women can be seen in the tests «hands-clasping» and «arm-folding». In these tests, it was shown a high percentage of individuals who prefer to use the left hand – for men 53 and 54% respectively (for women 48,8 and 47,2%). Spearman rank correlation coefficient revealed a statistically significant (p <0,05) correlation of 0,656 between the leading arm and dominant eye. In general, in this population, the combination of all right lateral traits occurs at 17,9% (in women 21,9%), and the combination all of the left signs-in 0,6% of cases. Intersexual differences by the 2criterion were significant (p=0,01) only for the dominant eye; in motility tests, a smaller proportion of left-handed women is fixed as a trend. It was found out a clear trend towards a greater proportion of women undergoing tests on the laterality without preference. Thus, the percentage of women of the same activity in both eyes was 3,5%. Conclusion. Identification of specific features of the distribution of laterality traits in Bedouins reflects the specifics of inter-hemispheric functional asymmetry and possibly appears to be an adaptive feature of the particular human population. The revealed specific features of the distribution of lateral features in Bedouins, consisting in an increased frequency of the choice of the left half of the body, reflect the specificity of interhemispheric functional asymmetry and, possibly, are an adaptive feature of a particular human population. The results partially confirm the idea of the existing association between the mechanism of humans resistance to environmental conditions in with the function of the right hemisphere of the brain.
physical anthropology; South Sinai Bedouins; lateral traits, handedness; hands-clasping; arm-folding; dominant eye
DOI: 10.32521/2074-8132.2017.4.084-090
Цит.: Chumakova A.M., Kobyliansky Eu. Study of lateral features in the population of South Sinai Bedouins // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2017; 4/2017; с. 84-90
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