Recently, a number of authors have claimed that sexual dimorphism in the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is simply dependent on digit length and is an artifact of allometry. The goal of our study is to verify the validity of these assumptions. The study sample comprised 7,582 individuals (3,802 men and 3,780 women) from three large world populations: Europeans (n = 3043), East Africans (n = 2844), and Central Asians (n = 1695). The lengths of the second and fourth digits on both hands were measured. Digit ratios were computed according to standard procedures. Analyses were conducted separately for each hand for the whole sample and in succession for the three large populations. Additionally, we separately tested four age cohorts (≤ 13, 14–18, 19–30, and 31 ≥ years) to test the effect of developmental allometry. The second and fourth digits showed strong positive linear relationships on both hands, and demonstrated an increase with age; digit length in women from the youngest age cohort was longer or equal to that of men, and shorter than men in older age cohorts. However, the 2D:4D magnitude and its sexual dimorphism remained stable throughout the ontogeny. To test for an allometric effect on 2D:4D, the average digit lengths were calculated. Both sex and population origin were permanent reliable predictors of 2D:4D, whereas average digit length was not. Height was applied as another measure of allometric effect on the limited sample (≤ 30 years) from the European population, along with sex and age. No allometric effect was observed in this case. We conclude that sex differences in 2D:4D are not an artifact of allometry.

Significant differences in prevalence and severity of hand OA were found between the Russian samples living in different geographic areas. Additional studies are needed to discover the mechanism defining the association between places of residence and development of hand OA.

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ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the familial correlations and heritability of 2D:4D ratio traits using a large population‐based sample of ethnically homogeneous pedigrees from Chuvasha and Bashkortostan Autonomies of the Russian Federation.MethodsWe calculated the familial correlations and performed a heritability analysis of 2D:4D ratio traits in a sample of 1541 subjects (803 men and 738 women, mean age 47.78 ± 16.89 years, range 18‐90 years).ResultsFamilial correlations of 2D:4D ratio traits showed no significant correlation for spouses; however, parent‐offspring (0.15‐0.28, P < .001) and sibling correlations (0.13‐0.38, P < .009) were found to be significant. Heritability (H2) of visual classification of 2D:4D ratio was 0.36 for the left and 0.28 for the right hand; finger ratio was 0.55 and 0.66, respectively; the ray ratio was 0.49 and 0.59, respectively, thus indicating the existence of a clear familial aggregation of 2D:4D ratio variation in the Chuvashian pedigrees, which cannot be explained only by common environmental effects.DiscussionResults of our study suggest familial aggregations of finger ratio variation (for all traits) in Chuvashian pedigrees. No evidence of assortative mating was found.

To evaluate the association between the index and ring finger's (2D:4D) length ratio with the prevalence and severity of radiographic hand osteoarthritis (OA). A population-based sample included 802 males (mean age 46.98 ± 17.10 years) and 738 females (mean age 48.65 ± 16.62 years) who had participated in a Chuvashian skeletal aging study. Age, sex, basic demographics, anthropometric data and X-rays of both hands were acquired. Each hand was visually classified on X-ray as either type 1-index finger longer than the ring finger; type 2-index and ring finger equal in length; or type 3-index finger shorter than the ring finger. Hand OA was defined by the number of affected joints (Kellgren-Lawrence score ≥ 2) in both hands and the sum total of Kellgren-Lawrence scores (total OA score). After comparing the OA variables of individuals with different finger length ratio types (after adjustment for age and BMI) significant differences were found only in females between finger ratio types of the right hand in a number of affected joints (F = 3.153, p = 0.043) and finger ratio types of the left (F = 3.330, p = 0.036) and right (F = 2.397, p = 0.047) hands of the total OA score. Females with type 3 ratios had the highest adjusted values of hand OA parameters. We found that finger length ratios are associated with hand OA parameters. Females with a type 3 finger length pattern showed significantly higher hand OA values than those with types 1 and 2.