AFFAIRS – Women with long index fingers are more likely to have affairs
Women with long index fingers on their left hands are more likely to have affairs, a study by Oxford University revealed.
The findings surprised scientists as having a longer index finger is associated with having more typical female characteristics.
The longer index finger and shorter ring finger have been linked to being exposed to higher levels of female sex hormones in the womb.
It was assumed that women who were ‘more feminised’ would be more likely to be satisfied with their romantic relationships, and to be less impulsive.
Being more exposed to the sex hormone oestrogen in the womb leads to women’s index fingers growing longer than their ring finger.
By contrast, being exposed to more of the male sex hormone testosterone in the womb has a more ‘masculinising’ effect – and results in a longer ring finger and a shorter index finger.
SEXUALITY – Women with longer ring fingers are more likely to be lesbian
Women whose ring fingers are longer than their index digits more likely to be lesbian, according to a study by Essex University.
Researchers looked at sets of identical twins where one of the siblings was heterosexual.
They found that the homosexual twin tended to have a greater difference between the length of their index and ring finger, with the difference most pronounced among women.
Previous research has indicated that exposure to the male hormone testosterone in the womb could be linked to differences in finger length and also to sexuality.
Women’s index and ring fingers are typically of similar length while in men there is a greater difference.
Both men and women are exposed to the ‘male’ hormone testosterone in the womb.
VOICE – Babies are more likely to have squeaky voices if the index finger is longer than their ring finger
University of Sussex scientists found there could be a link between the length of a child’s fingers and the pitch of their voice.
A baby is more likely to grow to have a squeaky voice if the index finger on their right hands is longer than the ring finger, the research suggested.
Similarly, scientists said the connection is probably the result of a lack of testosterone in the womb.
Testosterone is known to be key to early body growth and plays an important role in how vocal pitch develops during puberty.
JOB – Women with long ring fingers are more likely to have a traditionally female job
A woman’s choice of career is linked to the length of her fingers, according to a study by the National Research University in Russia.
Women whose index finger was short compared to their ring finger were more likely to have what was regarded as a traditionally male job, such as a lawyer or a manager in industry, the researchers found.
And those whose index finger was longer than their ring finger were more likely to be employed in a stereotypically female career, such as nursing or primary school teaching.
For the study, researchers from the National Research University in Russia analysed data from 1,500 men and women whose fingers were measured using digital callipers.
They found that significant differences in the 2D:4D differences were observed only for women and mostly for the left hand.
SHARING – Children with longer ring fingers are less likely to share
Children who have index fingers shorter than their ring fingers are less likely to share their toys, research by the University of Vienna suggests.
Evidence already exists to show they are more aggressive – but the new study shows they are also more selfish – and won’t even share with friends.
It is known those who have an index finger that is shorter than their ring finger are exposed to greater amounts of testosterone in the womb because the hormone affects the development of finger length.
Anthropologists argue that higher levels of the hormone during pregnancy leads to a ‘masculinisation effect’ in both boys and girls. Testosterone levels remain high as children age.
Austrian experts observed the habits of dozens of boys and girls given the choice of who gets glittery stickers to make the conclusion.
