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Task complexity, posture, age, sex: Which is the main factor influencing manual laterality in captive Cercocebus torquatus torquatus? |
Auteur(s) : Laurence, A.; Wallez, C.; Blois-Heulin, C. Contributeurs : EthoS, UMR 6552; CNRS; Université de Rennes 1 Référence bibliographique : Laterality, 2011, 16 (5), 586-606 DOI: 10.1080/1357650X.2010.501338 Type : Article scientifique Éditeur(s) : Psychology Press Date de publication : 01-08-2013 |
Description : Behavioural asymmetries reflect brain asymmetry in nonhuman primates (NHP) as
in humans. By investigating manual laterality, researchers can study the evolution
of brain hemisphere specialisation. Three dominant theories aim to establish an
evolutionary scenario. The most recent theory relates different levels of manual
laterality to task complexity. Our investigation aimed to evaluate the importance of
two extrinsic factors (posture and the need for manual coordination) and two
intrinsic factors (age and sex) on the expression of manual laterality by red-capped
mangabeys. We observed 19 captive-born mangabeys, in spontaneous situations
and under experimental conditions (seven experimental tasks varying in complexity).
No directionality was observed in hand preference at the group level whatever
the task. But our data revealed an effect of task complexity: more subjects were
lateralised than not lateralised for the bipedal task and for the three most complex
tasks. Finally, we evidenced an age and a sex effect. We compare our results with
data for several other primate species and discuss them in the light of different
manual laterality theories. Mots-clés : handedness, red-capped mangabeys, tube task, manual coordination |
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