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By Shailee Mahajan
In my physics class of about 20 people, there is only one leftie. It is a commonly known fact that the majority of the world’s dominant hand is their right (about 85%), but since humans have 2 hands, wouldn’t the logical conclusion be that the ratio of lefties to righties is a 50/50 split? The answer to this enigma lies in key neurological factors that are at play when determining which hand is one’s dominant.
Lateralization of limb use, or a preference towards one or the other, is rooted in the brain. The left and right hemispheres of the brain are responsible for different functions, however there are some nerves that cross over, leading one hemisphere of the brain to actually be responsible for most of the opposite side of the body (for example, the left hemisphere controlling the right eye). This splitting of labor between hemispheres originated millions of years ago, when it was crucial to have neurological efficiency to have the maximum chance of survival.
It is believed that preference for one hand or another began when humans started walking upright. The Homo loquens hypothesis states that lateralization in general developed from the evolution of humans being upright bipeds, while rightward preference stemmed from the evolution of language and motor skills (these skills are controlled by the left hemisphere, which also controls the right side of the body).
It is a common myth that lefties are more creative because the left side of the brain is the “artistic” side, but it is apparent that the misconception is false and that there are many more factors that contribute to what one’s ultimate hand is. Evolution is the driving force behind many if not all bodily functions in humans, and hand dominance is definitely one of them.
Sources
Sources
“Evolution: Why are most of us right-handed?” BBC, 15 December 2014, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20141215-why-are-most-of-us-right-handed. Accessed 22 August 2025.
“Why Are So Many People Right-Handed? Genetic Research May Hold The Clues.” KQED, 23 September 2013, https://www.kqed.org/science/9014/why-are-so-many-people-right-handed-genetic-research-may-hold-the-clues. Accessed 22 August 2025.
“Why are some people left-handed? An evolutionary perspective.” PubMed Central, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2666081/. Accessed 22 August 2025.
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