Lack of Hand Preference in Wild Hanuman Langurs

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Lack of Hand Preference in Wild Hanuman Langurs (Presbytis Entellus) is a study that investigates handedness of different tasks across a natural population of Hanuman langurs. Manual specialization is the best indicator of the strong hemispherical lateralization the Hominidae are known for, clearly demonstrated by Homo sapiens who exhibit 90% right handedness. Researchers wanted to test whether the Hanuman langur demonstrated preference for either hand. They hypothesized that Hanuman langurs preferred their right hand during their completion of daily tasks.
For this study, researchers observed 10 randomly selected, free ranging, adult Hanuman langurs from the Siwalik mountains in southern Nepal. Of these ten, five of the Hanuman langurs were males, the other; female. Each of the females carried a non-weaned infant and all members were part of a multimale and multifemale, free-ranging group. Researchers watched these primates carry, eat, hit, hold, idle, manipulate, reach, retrieve, self-groom, and social groom. These primates were observed using a focal subject sampling in 20 minute sessions. Focal sampling is an observational technique in which the researchers focus and observe one individual at a time. During their observations, researchers recorded which hand the primates used to complete the specified tasks and the objects they interacted with.
The results revealed a lack of hand preference among the Hanuman langurs with an exception in the Eat category. Nine of the 10 subjects showed no statistically significant degree of lateralization. In the Eat category, five subjects displayed a preference for their right hand while four others showed preference for their left. Only one female demonstrated a significant prefer...

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...ing to learn more about the life around us, especially non-human primates. It is possible that some of the social patterns in the different primate communities may be prevalent in human social structure. This opens up more questions of why these social patterns are similar. Is the reason possibly biological? Sometimes there is no question to be answered and the only reason why research studies like these are conducted is simply because we are interested in knowing how a certain species of animals work.

Works Cited

Mittra, E. S., & Fuentes, A. A. (1997). Lack of hand preference in wild Hanuman langurs
(Presbytis entellus). American Journal Of Physical Anthropology, 103(4), 455.
Nikolei, J., & Borries, C. (1997). Sex differential behavior of immature Hanuman langurs
(presbytis entellus) in Ramnagar, South Nepal. International Journal Of Primatology, 18(3), 415.

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