Is 2D:4D finger ratio research misleading?
June 26, 2009
 Is 2D:4D finger ratio research misleading? |
Is finger ratio research misleading / deceptive? This week Czech researchers presented a revision of their earlier reported results: “previously published results on the 2D:4D ratio are biased by its covariation with finger length”. But the Czech researchers also reported very explicitely: “We do not claim that the previous results for the finger length ratio are wrong”. What can we conclude from the latests step in finger ratio research? |
| What are the essentials of the Czech research? The Czech researchers claim that the fundamentals of the male-female 2D:4D finger length ratios can be related to male-female differences in finger length. Men usually have longer fingers (larger hand) than women – and there appears to be a negative correlation between finger length in general and the 2D:4D finger ratio.
The Czech research was presented under the title: ‘Differences in the 2nd to 4th digit length ratio in humans reflect shifts along the common allometric line’ – some quotes from the researchers about their finger ratio findings:
“Sexual differences in 2D : 4D are mainly caused by the shift along the common allometric line with non-zero intercept, which means 2D : 4D necessarily decreases with increasing finger length, and the fact that men have longer fingers than women.” “We do not claim that the previous results for the finger length ratio are wrong” “We conclude that previously published results on the 2D : 4D ratio are biased by its covariation with finger length. We strongly recommend regression-based approaches for comparisons of hand shape among different groups.” |
“Most studies agree that 2D:4D is sexually dimorphic.”
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Are you tall, short, or got a small head? Recently Roger Dobson – author at MailOnline.co.uk presented an informative article with the title: ‘Tall, short – or got a small head? Here’s what your physique reveals about your health’. The article describes how various body dimensions – varying from body length to foot size – can indicate useful information about your risk of developing certain conditions, varying from cancer through to dementia & heart disease. Roger Dobson wrote in his article about the hand:
Autism and ADHD, mental illness/depression A range of disorders has been linked to the length of fingers, and in particular the ratio between index and ring fingers. The ratio is thought to be a marker of what was happening hormonally in the womb when the foetus developed. It’s thought a relatively long ring finger is a sign that the foetus was exposed to higher levels of the male hormone testosterone, while a relatively long index finger is a marker of the female hormone, oestrogen. Conditions associated with a long ring finger compared to the index include autism and ADHD. Those associated with a longer index include depression. Males, who are more likely to develop autism and ADHD, tend to have a longer ring finger relative to their index finger. Exposure to certain hormones might increase or reduce the risk of certain conditions and traits. ‘It has been suggested that autism may arise as the result of exposure to high concentrations of prenatal testosterone,’ say researchers at Liverpool University.” |
 Britsh research points out that men whose ring fingers are longer than their index fingers run faster. |
‘The World’s Fastest Hand’ – research points out: long ring finger relates to a fast sprint! The 2008 olympics in Beijing pointed out that Jamaican sprinter Usain Bold has the world’s FASTEST hand… ever! How come that Jamaican sprinters run so fast? John Manning’s new finger research points out that a long ring finger (low 2D:4D ratio) relates to a fast sprint – other research indicates: Jamaicans have the longest ring finger! Source: The world’s fastest hand: why Usain Bolt & other Jamaicans run faster! |
| NEW SPRINT RESEARCH (2009)
British researchers have found that finger length might be a key factor in Bold’s world records at both the 100m and 200m. For, Jamaicans are known for having a low ‘2D:4D digit ratio’. The British ‘finger professor’ John T. Manning has recently presented new research which indicates that men who have a relatively long ring finger run faster! The research was done on 241 young male sprinters at a sports talent-spotting competition in Qatar. JAMAICANS HAVE THE LONG RING FINGER! Manning reported in his book ‘Digit Ratio’ (2002) that the average 2D:4D digit ratio in Jamaican people is among the lowest of the various populations in the world (a finding which was confirmed in a 2004 study). This might implicate that Usain Bolt’s digit ratio is actually not very low at all … in the perspective of the fact that he is a Jamaican man! The photo below illustrates that Asafa Powell, former world record holder & the second most famous sprinter from Jamaica, has the long ring finger as well! While Leonid Stadnyk from Ukraïne (unofficially the largest man on earth) has the world’s LARGEST hand, Usain Bolt is the fastest man ever and so he is: the World’s fastest hand!
READ FURTHER ABOUT THE RING FINGER: |
Finger length: five things that your 5 fingers can tell you!
March 13, 2009
 Five things that your fingers can tell you. |
John Manning is a professor at the University of Swansea and he wrote the book “The Finger Book”. Professor John Manning explains in his book how the ratio of the index finger and ring finger (= the ‘2D:4D digit ratio’ finger length) is related to the ‘Big five’ of life. |
| FINGERS & EVOLUTION
The human thumb is known as a ‘marker’ for the evolution of human kind; however our relative long index finger – compared to the ring finger – is a likewise example. In the chimpanzee and gorilla, this hand feature is different: they always have longer ring fingers and a short index finger. THE RING FINGER & SPORTS Exceptional performances in sports are being linked to the amount of male hormones that people absorb before birth while they stay in the womb. The ‘digit ratio’ has frequently been used to predict performances in various sports leagues. THE INDEX FINGER & SOCIAL BEHAVIOR Interestingly, especially among children a short index finger may indicate a lack of empathic ability. CROSS-CONTAMINATION There is growing statistical evidence that our finger ratios are a reliable predictor of our receptiveness to diseases. However, in real life the findings have not yet shown to have a significant impact. YOUR FINGERS & YOUR SEX-LIFE Men with long ring fingers, consider themselves as attractive. Studies show that women in the general rule agree and confirm the judgements of these men. Surprisingly, a likewise result has been found in women.
READ FURTHER ABOUT MANNING’S FINDINGS: |
The fingers of Albert Einstein: his finger-ratio points to autism!
January 29, 2009
 The fingers of Albert Einstein. |
Albert Einstein has a ‘2D:4D finger ratio’ of 0.93: In 1930 a German hand reader, Marianne Raschig, has taken the handprints of Albert Einstein (he was born in Germany) and one year later they were presented in her book: ‘Hand und Persönlichkeit’. Almost 80 years later the ‘2D: 4D digit ratio’ (ratio between the index finger & ring finger) is now measured from the high quality handprints. |
| Einstein had a ‘2D:4D finger ratio’ of: 0.93
The high quality handprints of Albert Einstein can found in the article: The picture below is also taken from the German book. The results of a detailed measurement procedure (taken by a Dutch psychologist) indicates that the ‘2D:4D digit ratio’ is for both hands: 0.93. This is especially interesting because researchers at Cambridge and Oxford universities believe Albert Einstein displayed signs of autism (Asperger syndrome). Earlier research on finger length & autism has indicated that a low digit ratio (0.94 or lower) highers the chance for the presence of autism! Therefore it seems fair to conclude that the fingers of Einstein provide evidence which support the perceptions of the UK researchers who suspect that Albert Einstein had autism!
READ FURTHER ABOUT FINGER TECHNOLOGY: |
New research on the little finger: the ‘pinky’ relates to autism!
January 23, 2009
 Your little finger might reveal more: hand gestures, autism & medical syndromes. |
The little finger (your ‘pinky’ or ‘pinkie’) relates to autism:
What do we know about the ‘pinky’ or ‘pinkie’? In the past certain features of the little finger have been related to autism & various medical syndromes. New research from The Netherlands indicates that a ‘curved’ pinky is often found in the hands of people who have autism.
Psychiatry researcher Ozgen from University Medical Center in Utrecht (The Netherlands), presents the details of the research in the journal ‘Molecular Psychiatry’. |
| “The presence of small physical defects and the occurrence of autism often go together”, says Dutch researcher Ozgen. Some of the physical defects reported are:
These are subtle physical defects without a specific medical significance, and cosmetic surgery is usually not necessary when these body features are present. NOTICE: Ozgen noticed in her studies that these physical defects more often occure in patients with autistic disorders, compared to the healthy controls. DIGIT RATIO & AUTISM: Likely, one can understand the findings of Ozgen a little bit more in perspective of the FINGER RATIO (2D: 4D digit ratio) evidence presented by UK psychologist John T. Manning. Manning describes in his first book DIGIT RATIO that autism is frequently featured with a ‘low 2D:4D digit ratio’ [= the ratio between the full length of the index finger (= 2th finger) & the full length of the ring finger (= 4th finger)]. READ MORE ABOUT THE LITTLE FINGER:
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The index- vs. ring finger ratio relates to the financial success of stock traders
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered that the financial traders’ success may depend more on their biological traits than on their ability to make rational choices. Rather remarkable: the finger length of the London stock traders appear to be related to the amount of their earnings. The researchers report that stock traders with a lower digit ratio (the ratio between the index finger and the ring finger) made an average of 679,680 pounds (or about $1 million U.S.), compared with 61,320 pounds ($90,956 U.S.) by those with a higher ratio, the report said. Those stock traders with a lower digit ratio of 0.93, on average, earned 10 times more than those with an average ratio of 0.988. Men typically have a ratio below 1, indicating their ring fingers are longer, Coates said. Women typically have a ratio of 1 or above. Why? The explanation is actually very complex: testosterone, a steroid hormone, surges between the 9th and 18th week of gestation, exerting powerful organizing effects on the developing body and brain. According to both animal and human studies, these effects may include increased confidence, risk-preferences and search persistence, as well as heightened vigilance and quickened reaction times. The following research programs describe some research results of related finger length ratio studies: |
Finger technology: Hitachi’s finger Vein ID biometric system!
December 15, 2008
 Finger vein technology might replace fingerprints ID. |
Finger vein biometry can replace fingerprints: Recently companies in Europe have begun to roll out VeinID – a new finger vein biometric system presented by Hitachi, the technology firm from Japan.
VeinID includes biometric technology to identify people from the unique patterns of veins inside their fingers. Within years Hitachi’s finger Vein ID might replace fingerprints as the most secure ID technology. |
| THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Finger vein authentication, introduced widely by Japanese banks in the last two years, is claimed to be the fastest and most secure biometric method. Developed by Hitachi, it verifies a person’s identity based on the lattice work of minute blood vessels under the skin. Easydentic Group, a European leader in the biometric industry based in France, has announced that it will be using Hitachi’s finger vein security in a range of door access systems for the UK and European markets. In Japan, thousands of cash machines are operated by finger vein technology. Recently, Hitachi announced that it will introduce 20,000 finger vein authentication systems at shops and kiosks belonging to two Japanese companies, which will use the devices to protect the privacy of customer information by requiring storeworkers to authenticate themselves before accessing the customer database. SOME KEY-FEATURES OF VEINID:
READ FURTHER ABOUT FINGER TECHNOLOGY: |
How your finger length relates to your body height!
December 9, 2008
 Finger length appears to be related to body height. |
Finger length relates to body height: Earlier this year a Turkish study reported that in a sample of 386 right handed students, body height was found to correlate negatively with the right- and left hand digit ratios (significant for the left hand in men, and the right hand in women). This implicates that in both males and females evidence was found that a ‘low digit ratio’ is more frequently found in people who has a long body height. |
| SOME ADDITIONAL POPULATION EVIDENCE:
‘Finger Guru’ John T. Manning presented in his first book Digit Ratio an overview of data related to the ‘digit ratio’ in various populations. This data (Manning, Barley, et al.; 2000) points out that e.g. in Spanish & British people (both populations for both men and women) a significant HIGHER ‘2D:4D digit ratio’ (the ratio between the index- and ring finger) was found, compared to for example the finger ratios in Finish & German people (again in both populations for both men and women). Interestingly, especially Spanish people, and in a lesser degree British people as well, are known for their (relatively) short body height – while Germans & Fins are known for their moderelately longer body height (compared to the Spanish & British): see the figure below. This implicates that there appears to be a strong link between the Turkish study which was published in 2008, and the earlier population evidence mentioned by Manning!!
READ FURTHER ABOUT FINGER LENGTH & VARIOUS POPULATIONS: |
Basketball fingers, enemas & fat!
November 20, 2008
 Basketball on a finger. |
Basketball fingers, You may have thought it was simply a matter of being able to grip and control the ball better, but according to researchers at the University of Alberta and the University of California-Riverside, individuals with longer fingers are more inclined to voluntarily participate in intense physical exertion. |
| The good news:
This means that if you absolutely detest exercising, it may not be due to laziness or lack of willpower; it might be that you’re just… short-handed. The bad news: Although the researchers [R.H. Yan, et al.] believe their findings are applicable to humans, the study actually involved 1,000 white mice. And you probably weren’t even aware that mice had fingers. READ FURTHER ABOUT FINGER LENGTH & ATHLETIC ABILITY: |
Finger length & DIGIT RATIO hand news! 