Left-side cradling: Similarities and differences between apes and humans

J. T. Manning; R Heaton; Andrew Chamberlain

doi:10.1006/jhev.1994.1005

Left-side cradling: Similarities and differences between apes and humans

J. T. Manning, R Heaton, Andrew Chamberlain

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

It is well known that human females tend to hold infants on the left side of the body. We present here data on lateral cradling preferences in 52 pairs of apes. The chimpanzee and gorilla samples show strong left-side cradling preferences (=75% and 74% respectively). Orang-utans show individual side preferences but no overall sample preference, while gibbons have a non-significant mean preference of 67%. In common with humans, gorillas have higher left-side cradling frequencies for male infants =85%) than female infants (=58%). A similar, non-significant, tendency is found in chimpanzees, orang-utans and gibbons. Human and ape patterns of left-side cradling are compared and their evolution and functional significance discussed. Copyright © 1994 Academic Press. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	77-83
Number of pages	6
Journal	Journal of Human Evolution
Volume	26
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1006/jhev.1994.1005
Publication status	Published - 1994

Keywords

Apes
Cradling
Humans
Infant gender differences
Laterality
Maternal behaviour

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10.1006/jhev.1994.1005

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abstract = "It is well known that human females tend to hold infants on the left side of the body. We present here data on lateral cradling preferences in 52 pairs of apes. The chimpanzee and gorilla samples show strong left-side cradling preferences (=75% and 74% respectively). Orang-utans show individual side preferences but no overall sample preference, while gibbons have a non-significant mean preference of 67%. In common with humans, gorillas have higher left-side cradling frequencies for male infants =85%) than female infants (=58%). A similar, non-significant, tendency is found in chimpanzees, orang-utans and gibbons. Human and ape patterns of left-side cradling are compared and their evolution and functional significance discussed. Copyright {\textcopyright} 1994 Academic Press. All rights reserved.",

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AU - Manning, J. T.

AU - Heaton, R

AU - Chamberlain, Andrew

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Y1 - 1994

N2 - It is well known that human females tend to hold infants on the left side of the body. We present here data on lateral cradling preferences in 52 pairs of apes. The chimpanzee and gorilla samples show strong left-side cradling preferences (=75% and 74% respectively). Orang-utans show individual side preferences but no overall sample preference, while gibbons have a non-significant mean preference of 67%. In common with humans, gorillas have higher left-side cradling frequencies for male infants =85%) than female infants (=58%). A similar, non-significant, tendency is found in chimpanzees, orang-utans and gibbons. Human and ape patterns of left-side cradling are compared and their evolution and functional significance discussed. Copyright © 1994 Academic Press. All rights reserved.

AB - It is well known that human females tend to hold infants on the left side of the body. We present here data on lateral cradling preferences in 52 pairs of apes. The chimpanzee and gorilla samples show strong left-side cradling preferences (=75% and 74% respectively). Orang-utans show individual side preferences but no overall sample preference, while gibbons have a non-significant mean preference of 67%. In common with humans, gorillas have higher left-side cradling frequencies for male infants =85%) than female infants (=58%). A similar, non-significant, tendency is found in chimpanzees, orang-utans and gibbons. Human and ape patterns of left-side cradling are compared and their evolution and functional significance discussed. Copyright © 1994 Academic Press. All rights reserved.

KW - Apes

KW - Cradling

KW - Humans

KW - Infant gender differences

KW - Laterality

KW - Maternal behaviour

U2 - 10.1006/jhev.1994.1005

DO - 10.1006/jhev.1994.1005

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SP - 77

EP - 83

JO - Journal of Human Evolution

JF - Journal of Human Evolution

IS - 1

ER -

Left-side cradling: Similarities and differences between apes and humans

Abstract

Keywords

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