Finger lengths predict facial shape in young boys!

**Martijn (admin)** Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:27 pm

In february 2012 a new study from Wien (Austria) presented new details about how finger lengths correlate with facial shape. Livescience reports about the study:

"Prepubescent boys with low digit ratio have smaller and shorter foreheads, thicker eyebrows, wider and shorter noses, and larger lower faces — all features of a characteristically masculine face. "

Sonja Windhager, an anthropologist at the University of Vienna and one of the reseachers, described:

"The overall shape patterns associated with high and low digit ratios depicted in our sample of boys closely resemble the ones found for adult men".

Read more about the details in this new study (+ older related studies) at:
Fingerlengths predict facial shape in young boys

Finger lengths predict facial shape in young boys! Rspb20053179f02

Finger lengths predict facial shape in young boys! Rspb20053179f02

Patti Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:11 pm

This is interesting Martijn!
Over the years, I've picked up a lot of information from hands that translate to me as body language and facial expressions, so it's interested to see that various lengths and widths of the face can be detected from comparing lengths of fingers. I imagine some day a general outline of a person will be described by features of the hands.

Thumbs up!

**Martijn (admin)** Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:34 pm

Yes Patti, the new study e.g. reports:

"Using geometric morphometrics, we show a significant relationship between facial shape and 2D : 4D before the onset of puberty (explaining 14.5% of shape variation...)"

This implicates that a relatively large part (14.5%) of the facial variations is explained by finger length(s).

**Helen** Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:49 pm

That is fascinating but what about girls / women. Would it be same or different? If I remember correctly, women in general have low digit ratio, isn't it so?

**Martijn (admin)** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:17 pm

Hello Helen!

Actually, women in general have a higher digit ratio (compared to men).

Regarding your question, my article reports that a 2005 study (John Manning is one of the authors) reports that in female adults the digit ratio effect on facial characteristics is smaller compared to male adults:

"... the growth patterns are three times more intense in men than in women."

The full article of the 2005 study is available here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1559906/

**Helen** Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:59 pm

Thanks Martijin,
Mixed up high and low ratios.

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Finger lengths predict facial shape in young boys!

Finger lengths predict facial shape in young boys!

Re: Finger lengths predict facial shape in young boys!

Re: Finger lengths predict facial shape in young boys!

What about girls???

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Re: Finger lengths predict facial shape in young boys!

Re: Finger lengths predict facial shape in young boys!