Grasping techniques and hand preferences in Hominoidea

Abstract

Starting off from the generally known, but very differently evaluated, manipulatory skill of the hand of higher primates, the present investigation tests in detail the functional characteristics of precise grasping behavior and the hand preference of 22 apes (5 Pan troglodytes, 2 Pan paniscus, 4 Gorilla gorilla, 4 Pongo pygmaeus, 6 Hylobates (3 lar and 3 moloch) and 8 humans. The method was focused on the following: a) ad libitum picking up differently shaped and very small objects without task-specific set ups; b) many repeated actions; c) exact distinction of different areas of contact between the grasping fingers; e) a comparable experimental set up for both, apes and humans.