Sexual Dimorphism in Digit Ratios Derived from Dorsal Digit Length Among Adults and Children

Overview

Journal Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2017 Mar 22

PMID 28321205

Citations 5

Authors

Sanjay Kumar

Martin Voracek

Maharaj Singh

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Sexual dimorphism in ventrally measured digit ratios (2D:4D and other) has been related to prenatal sex-hormone levels. In the present series of three studies, we measured all digit lengths (excluding the thumb) on the dorsal, rather than the ventral, side of left and right hands and investigated the sexual dimorphism in digit ratios in three independent samples, two of them comprising adults (Study I, = 104; Study II, = 154), and one further, comprising kindergarten children (Study III, = 64). Results show that men have lower digit-ratio values compared to women in digit ratios that include digit 5 as one of the constituents of the ratio (i.e., the 4D:5D, 3D:5D, and 2D:5D ratios). Boys have lower values compared to girls for the 4D:5D and 3D:5D ratios, and there is a similar trend of sexual dimorphism in the 2D:5D ratio. Thus, based on the evidence from dorsally measured digit ratios, the present findings from three samples are consistent with the idea that early sex-hormonal effects might be stronger for digit ratios involving digit 5, as compared to the classic, and frequently studied, ventrally measured 2D:4D ratio.

Citing Articles

Prenatal exposure to air pollutants and the second to fourth digit ratio in adult women.

Pruszkowska-Przybylska P, Klis K, Flis W, Wronka I, Sitek A Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):27211.

PMID: 39516536 PMC: 11549214. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-78943-w.

The ratio of 2nd to 4th digit length and reproductive function of infertile male patients.

Uchida M, Iwamoto T, Yamasaki K, Kariya F, Konishi S Reprod Med Biol. 2023; 22(1):e12500.

PMID: 36789270 PMC: 9909166. DOI: 10.1002/rmb2.12500.

Pulmonary Nodule Clinical Trial Data Collection and Intelligent Differential Diagnosis for Medical Internet of Things.

Wu W, Gu L, Zhang Y, Huang X, Zhou W Contrast Media Mol Imaging. 2022; 2022:2058284.

PMID: 35685674 PMC: 9162868. DOI: 10.1155/2022/2058284.

Investigating the reliability and sex differences of digit lengths, ratios, and hand measures in infants.

Ernsten L, Korner L, Heil M, Richards G, Schaal N Sci Rep. 2021; 11(1):10998.

PMID: 34040007 PMC: 8155043. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89590-w.

Differential Placing of Flexion Creases Contributes to Sex Differences in the Second-to-Fourth Digit Ratio (2D:4D).

Kumar S, Voracek M, Singh M Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2019; 10:537.

PMID: 31428058 PMC: 6688535. DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00537.

References

Okten A, Kalyoncu M, Yaris N . The ratio of second- and fourth-digit lengths and congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Early Hum Dev. 2002; 70(1-2):47-54. DOI: 10.1016/s0378-3782(02)00073-7. View

Trivers R, Manning J, Jacobson A . A longitudinal study of digit ratio (2D:4D) and other finger ratios in Jamaican children. Horm Behav. 2005; 49(2):150-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.05.023. View

Zheng Z, Cohn M . Developmental basis of sexually dimorphic digit ratios. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011; 108(39):16289-94. PMC: 3182741. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1108312108. View

Manning J, Stewart A, Bundred P, Trivers R . Sex and ethnic differences in 2nd to 4th digit ratio of children. Early Hum Dev. 2004; 80(2):161-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2004.06.004. View

Xi H, Li M, Fan Y, Zhao L . A comparison of measurement methods and sexual dimorphism for digit ratio (2D:4D) in Han ethnicity. Arch Sex Behav. 2013; 43(2):329-33. PMC: 3890058. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-013-0179-9. View

Abbott A, Colman R, Tiefenthaler R, Dumesic D, Abbott D . Early-to-mid gestation fetal testosterone increases right hand 2D:4D finger length ratio in polycystic ovary syndrome-like monkeys. PLoS One. 2012; 7(8):e42372. PMC: 3425513. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0042372. View

Manning J, Kilduff L, Trivers R . Digit ratio (2D:4D) in Klinefelter's syndrome. Andrology. 2012; 1(1):94-9. DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-2927.2012.00013.x. View

Bloom M, Houston A, Mills J, Molloy C, Hediger M . Finger bone immaturity and 2D:4D ratio measurement error in the assessment of the hyperandrogenic hypothesis for the etiology of autism spectrum disorders. Physiol Behav. 2010; 100(3):221-4. PMC: 2897171. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.01.005. View

van Anders S, Vernon P, Wilbur C . Finger-length ratios show evidence of prenatal hormone-transfer between opposite-sex twins. Horm Behav. 2005; 49(3):315-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2005.08.003. View

10.

Galis F, Ten Broek C, Van Dongen S, Wijnaendts L . Sexual dimorphism in the prenatal digit ratio (2D:4D). Arch Sex Behav. 2009; 39(1):57-62. PMC: 2811245. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-009-9485-7. View

11.

Manning J, Baron-Cohen S, Wheelwright S, Sanders G . The 2nd to 4th digit ratio and autism. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2001; 43(3):160-4. View

12.

Voracek M, Pietschnig J, Oeckher M . Finger, sex, and side differences in fingertip size and lack of association with image-based digit ratio (2D:4D) measurements. Percept Mot Skills. 2008; 107(2):507-12. DOI: 10.2466/pms.107.2.507-512. View

13.

Manning J, Trivers R, Thornhill R, Singh D . The 2nd:4th digit ratio and asymmetry of hand performance in Jamaican children. Laterality. 2004; 5(2):121-32. View

14.

Capdevila J, Izpisua Belmonte J . Patterning mechanisms controlling vertebrate limb development. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol. 2001; 17:87-132. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.cellbio.17.1.87. View

15.

Kulaksiz G, Gozil R . The effect of hand preference on hand anthropometric measurements in healthy individuals. Ann Anat. 2002; 184(3):257-65. DOI: 10.1016/S0940-9602(02)80119-4. View

16.

McFadden D, Bracht M . Sex and race differences in the relative lengths of metacarpals and metatarsals in human skeletons. Early Hum Dev. 2008; 85(2):117-24. PMC: 2649659. DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2008.07.001. View

17.

McIntyre M, Ellison P, Lieberman D, Demerath E, Towne B . The development of sex differences in digital formula from infancy in the Fels Longitudinal Study. Proc Biol Sci. 2005; 272(1571):1473-9. PMC: 1559827. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2005.3100. View

18.

Pelletier G, Ren L . Localization of sex steroid receptors in human skin. Histol Histopathol. 2004; 19(2):629-36. DOI: 10.14670/HH-19.629. View

19.

McFadden D, Bracht M . Sex differences in the relative lengths of metacarpals and metatarsals in gorillas and chimpanzees. Horm Behav. 2004; 47(1):99-111. DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.08.013. View

20.

Kimura S, Kitagawa T . Embryological development of human palmar, plantar, and digital flexion creases. Anat Rec. 1986; 216(2):191-7. DOI: 10.1002/ar.1092160211. View