Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 8 (1): 95-101, 2011 ISSN 1990-9233 © IDOSI Publications, 2011 Corresponding Author: Rosemary B. Bassey, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria. Tel: +234-8064853304. 95 Handedness: The Inter-relationship of Inheritance Pattern and Self-reported Talent among Medical Students at the University of Lagos, Nigeria Ademola Oremosu, Rosemary Bassey, Edidiong Akang, Kofoworola Odeyemi, 1 1 1 2 Clement Dolapo and Omotayo Oremosu 1 3 Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria 1 Department of Community Health, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria 2 Department of Restorative Dentistry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria 3 Abstract: Approximately 10% of the population seems to be left-handed. It is however unclear whether human hand preference is innate and genetically determined. The objective of this study is to determine the inter- relationship of handedness with inheritance pattern and self-reported talent among medical students at the University of Lagos. The survey was carried out among 512 medical and dental students of the University of Lagos through a self-administered questionnaire which was distributed to them through their classes. Names were not required to be written on the questionnaire to ensure confidentiality and to prevent likely bias in their response to the questions. The males were twice likely to use their left hand to perform various activities with their left hand than females. 100% of the respondents who were 2.5 kg at birth were right handed with 0% being left handed. 18% of those who were born at term were left handed while 82% were right handed; also, 27.3% of those born pre-term were left handed while 72.7% were right handed. The percentage of left handed students was highest among those who identified their mother as being left handed (54.5%), followed by father (48.1%), sister (45.8%) and then brother (34.3%). Left-handed respondents were more talented in all the activities than the right handed ones. There were more left handed students found to be talented in music, followed by chess, drawing and painting; then interior decoration while the least was fashion designing. There is a relationship between handedness and sex, talent, genetic inheritance but none found in relation to birth factors. Key words: Left handedness Students Talent INTRODUCTION often performed with the right hand [3]. In some Handedness has been extensively studied in the past at least for activities like writing. For example, in a study century, but its exact cause remains debatable [1]. in Taiwan [4] only 0.7% of 4,143 participants were left Individuals are considered right-handed if they prefer to hand writers. use the right hand to throw a ball, use a spoon, saw, sew, From an analysis in Katanga, Congo it is reported shoot marbles, bowl, cut with a knife, cut with scissors, that 0.5% of 1,047 children were left-handed but no child hammer and write. If they routinely use the left hand or was writing with the left hand [5]. This would make nearly either hand for any number of these 10 tasks, they are 50% of the population in both societies shifted in hand designated non-right-handed [2]. Thus, both left-handed preference, especially in writing. and ambidextrous individuals are pooled as non-right- The prevalence of left handedness in other handed. studies varies from 9 to 11% [6]. Researchers often Such preference is stronger in activities, consider handedness to be a classic “complex trait” which are more socially controlled like eating or that is specified by a combination of genetics and writing and is weaker in activities like carrying a bag or environmental causes. Indeed, more recent studies on the opening a bottle. Thus, questionnaires often show subject also conclude that genes do not play a significant that writing is one of the activities, which are most role in handedness [1, 7, 8]. societies almost everyone has a right hand preference,