Development of hand preferences in marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and effects of aging.

Abstract

The authors investigated the development of unimanual hand use and hand preferences during feeding in 15 marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), ages birth to 51-70 months. Bimanual hand use was common at 1-2 months, but by 5-8 months unimanual holding had developed and so had significant hand preferences. Half of the marmosets preferred to pick up and take food to the mouth with the left hand, and half preferred the right hand. Individuals maintained the same hand preference at all ages examined. Significant relationships were also found between the postures adopted during feeding and the direction of hand preferences displayed by juvenile marmosets. There was a positive correlation between increased suspension and increased left-hand preference, and a negative correlation between increased feeding in a tripedal posture and increased left-hand preference. These results are discussed in terms of motor development and hemispheric specialization.

Hand use by tufted capuchins (Cebus apella) to extract a small food item from a tube: digit movements, hand preference, and performance

“…In fact, while some researchers found age-related differences between adults and juveniles [Hopkins, 1995;Rogers & Kaplan, 1996], others found no change in manual asymmetries with age [Colell et al, 1995;Hook & Rogers, 2000;Hopkins, 1993]. For example, developmental data on feeding behavior in marmosets showed that adult individuals displayed the same significant right-or left-hand biases they displayed during the first months of life [Hook & Rogers, 2000].…”

“…In fact, while some researchers found age-related differences between adults and juveniles [Hopkins, 1995;Rogers & Kaplan, 1996], others found no change in manual asymmetries with age [Colell et al, 1995;Hook & Rogers, 2000;Hopkins, 1993]. For example, developmental data on feeding behavior in marmosets showed that adult individuals displayed the same significant right-or left-hand biases they displayed during the first months of life [Hook & Rogers, 2000]. This hand-preference pattern clearly contrasts with findings in humans that handedness fluctuates during infancy (the differential use of two hands is only slight during the first months of life, becomes more pronounced but still unstable at around 3 years, and stabilizes after that age) [Bishop, 1990;Michel, 1983].…”

Motor assessment of developing common marmosets

“…Several studies have described the development of specific behaviors in marmosets, such as hand preference [8] and head-cocking [9] . However, their gross motor development is still unknown.…”

Lateralized Functions in the Dog Brain

“…Dogs with stronger paw preference are otherwise more confident and relaxed in an unfamiliar environment and when presented with novel stimuli [76]; on the contrary, they are less The existence of motor asymmetries at a population level is currently a subject of wide debate. It has been reported in several species, including humans [54], non-human primates [55,56], rats [57], humpback whales [58] and common European toads [59] but studies on other animals, as for example marmosets [60], sheep [61,62], cats [63] and horses [64,65], has shown a motor bias only at the individual-level. However, the same species may also display a limb preference at the level of population or at the individual level depending on the task, as found in monkeys [66,67], cats [68] and sheep [69].…”