The influence of digit size and proportions on dexterity during cold exposure

Abstract

The current study suggests that digit width influences dexterity in cold conditions, reflecting patterns found at room temperature. Hand and digit morphology may be the product of two significant constraints on the hand: dexterity and thermoregulation. In cold conditions, hand morphology appears to be predominantly constrained by thermal stress, at the expense of dexterity. This may have important implications for interpreting the morphology of extinct and extant hominins.

Predictors of Hand Dexterity after Single-Digit Replantation

“…This is because the thumb, index, and long fingers especially influence the precision pinch grips unique to hand dexterity. 8 The dominant hand was involved in 11 patients, and the nondominant hand was involved in 12. All patients were right-handed.…”

An examination of factors that may contribute to gender differences in psychomotor processing speed

“…In fine motor tasks, persons with narrow digits are at an advantage [ 17 ], and females have smaller hands than men do. Recent studies show that populations from cold regions have relatively shorter and wider fingers, a trait that is negatively correlated with dexterity [ 18 , 19 ]. This may also explain some of the cross-national differences observed on PS tests.…”

European and American WAIS IV norms: Cross‐national differences in perceptual reasoning, processing speed and working memory subtest scores

“…Another example of the potential effects of ethnic factors comes from a recent study that shows that populations from cold regions have relatively shorter and wider fingers, having a negative correlation with dexterity (Betti, Lycett, Von Cramon‐Taubadel & Pearson, ; Payne, Macintosh & Stock, ). Females outperform males on the WAIS IV processing speed index by 4.4 IQ points (Holdnack et al ., ) and differences in finger size may partly explain this gender gap (Marshall, ).…”