Left-handed people make up about 10% of the human population which is estimated to be about 7.7 billion people as of April 2019. Lefties are relatively small in population proportion, but large in their scientific intrigue.
In a recent paper published in the journal Brain, researchers examined the genetic underpinnings of left-handedness. This is the first time that specific genetic components related to handedness have been identified, though it is still believed that left-handedness is 25% due to genetics and 75% due to environmental factors. The researchers examined brain imaging phenotypes from left-handed UK Biobank participants and compared results to data from genome-wide association studies. What they found were increased connections between the left and right sides of the brain in left-handers, particularly related to language networks, and 4 DNA loci that appear tied to the left-handed phenotype.
Due to the increased connections found between the left and right language hemispheres, researchers now think that lefties may have superior verbal skills, though this conclusion requires more research to be unequivocally accepted.
In cultures where left-handedness is still considered a foreign evil, this research shows that there isn't anything magical about being left-handed: it's simply a difference in DNA structure which translates to some functional differences in the brain!
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