Task complexity, posture, age, sex: Which is the main factor influencing manual laterality in captiveCercocebus torquatus torquatus?

Abstract

Behavioural asymmetries reflect brain asymmetry in nonhuman primates (NHP) as in humans. By investigating manual laterality, researchers can study the evolution of brain hemisphere specialisation. Three dominant theories aim to establish an evolutionary scenario. The most recent theory relates different levels of manual laterality to task complexity. Our investigation aimed to evaluate the importance of two extrinsic factors (posture and the need for manual coordination) and two intrinsic factors (age and sex) on the expression of manual laterality by red-capped mangabeys. We observed 19 captive-born mangabeys, in spontaneous situations and under experimental conditions (seven experimental tasks varying in complexity). No directionality was observed in hand preference at the group level whatever the task. But our data revealed an effect of task complexity: more subjects were lateralised than not lateralised for the bipedal task and for the three most complex tasks. Finally, we evidenced an age and a sex effect. We compare our results with data for several other primate species and discuss them in the light of different manual laterality theories.

Comparing human and nonhuman primate handedness: Challenges and a modest proposal for consensus

“…To be clear, I would not want to suggest that simple reaching is a poor measure of handedness in all circumstances nor in all species. There is certainly abundant evidence that factors like posture, the role of visual feedback and even grip morphology can have a significant impact of handedness for simple reaching in a variety of species (Fagot, Drea, & Wallen, 1991;Hook-Costigan & Rogers, 1997;Hopkins, 1995;Hopkins, Russell, Hook, et al, 2005;Jones-Engel & Bard, 1996;LaCreuse, Parr, Smith, & Hopkins, 1999;Laurence, Wallez, & Blois-Heulin, 2011;Schweitzer et al, 2007;Spinozzi & Cacchiarelli, 2000;Spinozzi, Truppa, & Lagana, 2004;Tonooka & Matsuzawa, 1995). The simple reaching measure described above pertains only to the conditions in which a piece of food is thrown into the subject's enclosure and they are free to locomote to that location and reach for the food without any postural or visual constraints on their responding.…”

On the origins of human handedness and language: A comparative review of hand preferences for bimanual coordinated actions and gestural communication in nonhuman primates

“…This task consists, for the subject, of holding a PVC tube with one hand and removing the food inside the tube (e.g., peanut butter) with the fingers of the other “dominant” hand. The bimanual tube task has been successfully replicated in many captive primate species such as capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys, baboons, De Brazza's monkeys, mangabeys, Sichuan snub‐nosed monkeys, rhesus macaques, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans, and chimpanzees (Bennett, Suomi, & Hopkins, ; Blois‐Heulin, Guitton, Nedellec‐Bienvenue, Ropars, & Vallet, ; Blois‐Heulin, Bernard, & Bec, ; Chapelain & Hogervorst, ; Chapelain, Hogervorst, Mbonzo, & Hopkins, ; Hopkins, Stoinski, Lukas, Ross, & Wesley, ; Hopkins, Wesley, Izard, Hook, & Schapiro, ; Hopkins et al, ; Laurence, Wallez, & Blois‐Heulin, ; Lilak & Phillips, ; Llorente et al, ; Meguerditchian, Donnot, Molesti, & Vauclair, ; Meunier & Vauclair, ; Schweitzer et al, ; Spinozzi, Castornina, & Truppa, ; Vauclair et al, ; Westergaard & Suomi, ; Westergaard, Chamoux, & Suomi, ; Zhao, Hopkins, & Li, ).…”

“…However, this view has been challenged by some reports of predominance of left‐handedness for similar bimanual coordinated behaviors in other primate species including great apes, Old World and New world monkeys: captive orangutans (Hopkins et al, ), captive Brazza's monkeys (Schweitzer et al, ), captive male red‐capped mangabeys (Laurence et al, ), wild Sichuan snub‐nosed monkeys (Zhao et al, ), and captive male squirrel monkeys (Meguerditchian et al, ). Such divergent directions of population‐level handedness across primate species might be reconciled if we consider the variations of the postural and biomechanical factors related to the ecology of the species (i.e., arboreal vs. terrestrial species).…”

“…Comparison of the degrees of population‐level handedness (MHI) for the bimanual coordinated tube task between arboreal and terrestrial primates. Mainly arboreal primates: Orangutans (Hopkins et al, ); Snub‐nosed monkeys (Zhao et al, ); De Brazza's monkeys (Schweitzer et al, ); Squirrel monkeys (Meguerditchian et al, ); and Red‐Capped Mangabeys (Laurence et al, ). Mainly terrestrial primates: Rhesus macaques (Bennett et al, ); Baboons (Vauclair et al, ); Bonobos, Chimpanzees and gorillas (Hopkins et al, ) and human infants from 12‐months to 20‐months‐olds (Potier et al, ).…”

Changes of the Structural Complexity of Elderly Teachers’ Moving Objectives Depending on the Level of Psycho-Emotional Stress

“…На думку A. Laurence et al, [16], J. Miller et al, [18], i C. Seegelke et al, [27], зменшення темпу ППТ може бути пов'язано з переходом від осцилятор-них до дискретних рухів, що обумовлено порушен-ням упорядкованого управління окремими рухами.…”