Publication
Title
When right differs from left : human limb directional asymmetry emerges during very early development
Author
Abstract
The often observed directional asymmetry (DA) in human limb bones may have a genetic/developmental basis and/or could emerge from different mechanical loadings across sides due to handedness. Because behavioural lateralization in itself has a genetic basis, it has been suggested that DA in limbs could develop prenatally as a pre-adaptation to adult life. However, the presence of consistent differences in the size of left and right limb bones in early development is understudied. We study asymmetry in limb bones during early development (10-20 weeks of gestation) in a sample of 178 aborted foetuses. Statistically significant DA was found in several upper and lower limb bones, where the right-hand side was consistently larger than the left. We argue that this pattern is probably the consequence of developmental processes related to internal asymmetric positioning of organs.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Laterality : asymmetries of body, brain and cognition. - Hove
Publication
Hove : 2014
ISSN
1357-650X
DOI
10.1080/1357650X.2014.891606
Volume/pages
19 :5 (2014) , p. 591-601
ISI
000337949500007
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 28.08.2014
Last edited 09.10.2023
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