Hand dominance and bilateral asymmetry of the epicondylar breadth of the humerus : A test in a living sample

For this consideration of bilateral asymmetry of the epicondylar breadth of the distal humerus and its relationship to hand dominance, metric analysis of the humerus was conducted on a living population from Ontario, Canada, and on the late Anglo-Saxon skeletal population (tenth to eleventh century AD) from Raunds Furnells, Northamptonshire (UK). Examination of trends in adult asymmetry reveals that while certain variables, such as age and sex, can be influential, biomechanical factors appear to be of primary importance in the expression of this trait. This type of study provides insight into how asymmetry is expressed in a modern population as well as providing a means to monitor changes in asymmetry in the past.