I know that there are more right-handed people than left-handed. But evolutionarily-speaking, wouldn't you think that being ambidextrous would have been a better solution, and therefore more common?
2006-09-14 00:32:03 · 20 answers · asked by SDRGrimsby 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
It is not surprising that the two halves of the brain specialize because certain abilities require specific areas of the brain to organize to support the skills. There is an advantage in assigning roles to the left and right hands. For example a righty holds a nail with the left hand (the right brain controls the left hand and is good at judging space) and hammers with the right hand (the left brain controls the right hand and is good at logic). Where to hold the nail and what to do with the hammer are important considerations for the survival of thumbs! Lefties use the reversed procedure with equal skills. Ambidexterity (literally two right hands!) works great on a piano where the thumbs are not at risk. Switch hitters have a huge advantage in baseball and boxing. Cold water faucets are always on the right because in the early days there was only cold water and the right-handed majority found it more convenient to hold an item being washed (or soap?) with the left hand while turning on the faucet with the right hand. Now the fixed convention can avoid scalds if the water temperature is set too high. Many who lose a limb are forced to train their remaining hand to do left and right tasks and some people switch hands just to improve their ambidexterity.
Long ago people shook hands (with their right hands) so that they could not also draw swords! Lefties of course could cheat and were considered sinister (meaning left). People walked down a street on the left side so that they could quickly draw swords from their left side and fight someone coming the other way on their right. England still drives on the left side of the road. There was a lot less sword fighting in the new world ... and the USA and Canada drive on the right hand side of the road.
2006-09-14 01:24:54 · answer #1 · answered by Kes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer to the first part of your question, they have to be at least either one, since they only have two hands.
You could be ambidextrous if you were to practice. Evolutionarily we tend to loose the use or even the existence of the part or ability that we do not use very often . Since we decided it would be more effecient to write and continue wrting with one hande rather than doing it with both. Eventually evolving into one sided creatures, similarly our desire to be judgemental has led us to this rat race of the latest times.
Very simply, as we have learnt that there are so many things that we can improve that nature has provided us (not mention that our limited knowledge in harnessing this advancement has led to an ailing planet) so we go in exploring and achieving (so to speak).
2006-09-14 07:40:30 · answer #2 · answered by Iconic 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm left handed and I remember hearing that it has to do with which side of the brain is more developed. The right side controls the left side of the body and vice versa. Left handed people are supposed to be good where it comes to art, creativity etc etc. Where it went wrong I don't know as I'm certainly not.
2006-09-14 07:33:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
My daughter is ambidextrous, whereupon she can hand write, draw or paint with either hand (she also does mirror writing as well as someone can write regularly). I eat with my left hand yet I write, paint and draw with my right hand. I throw with either hand. In Gymnastics, I did my stunts (turns, twists) like a left-handed person. My stronger side is my left side. I shoot a rifle from my right side but shoot bows with my left side. I boxed as a teenager as a left and orthodox with equal results (I was undefeated). I can bowl equally as BAD with either side. I guess there's a form of ambidexterity in me but I've never really sought to confirm or verify this, never curious.
I believe that in the animal kingdom even animals have a preferred paw or "side" they prefer, or a dominant side.
2006-09-14 11:19:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question but since evolution is not a true occurrence then people will just have to put up with being either left or right handed. You are right thought that would be a much better choice.
2006-09-14 07:34:56 · answer #5 · answered by bildymooner 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Left-handed = witch, right-handed = everyone else. Evolution was progression nicely towards just right-handed people until those meddling civil liberties people interfered and stopped the burning of witches.
2006-09-14 07:38:14 · answer #6 · answered by hastetothewedding 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't know and I know it'd not relevant but we've had nine cats and eight of them were right pawed apart from Smokey who appeared to be ambidextrous
2006-09-14 18:07:44 · answer #7 · answered by bo nidle 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not sure but i like your question. When i was little it was not popular to be left-handed and even my teachers tried to make me right-handed by hitting my hand every time i used my left hand. It didnt change me but it make me amidextrious. I have 1 older sister who is also left-handed and 1 out of my 3 children is left-handed.to this day i get called "southpaw" but thats ok cause it just makes me special in its own way....
2006-09-14 07:45:52 · answer #8 · answered by solsbj 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
No .
The brain is divided into to hemispheres , left , and right .
The left hemisphere controls the right and is the mathematical logical thinking part of the brain.The righ hemisphere controls the left and is the creative part of the brain
2006-09-14 07:42:52 · answer #9 · answered by kevin d 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The devil has marked all left handed people out as being his own! (I had a headmistress who believed that - she used to wallop me with a ruler if she caught me writing with my left hand. Sinister or what?)
2006-09-14 07:39:36 · answer #10 · answered by Avondrow 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋