The weights and lengths of right and left bones of each pair, from 105 human skeletons from Asia, were studied.
All of the long bones of the upper are heavier and longer on the right side. The left femur is heavier and longer. The right tibia and fibula are heavier while the left tibia and right fibula are longer. The right scapula is heavier and the 0 s coxae, clavicle and the bones of the hand and foot are heavier on the left side.
Generally, the left bones are more variable in weight and length. The upper extremity and its individual bones manifest more asymmetry than the lower.
The proximal bone of upper and lower extremities and the scapula and 0s coxae show a greater degree of asymmetry in weight than the the more distal bones.
In general, the left bones have slightly higher correlations with total skeletal weight. These and the intercorrelations between right and left bones of the six pairs of long bones of the extremities are all significant and positive. The highest intercorrelations of the long bones are between right and left bones of a pair.
Bilateral asymmetry in its various manifestations has long been a n interesting but baffling problem. Probably right or left handedness was recognized first, and a n early record of left handed soldiers is found in the Bible (Judges 3:15; 20:16). The study of asymmetry in the use of hand, foot and eye has received much attention in more recent years (Schaeffer, '28; Leche, '33; Jantz, '64). Jantz has a long list of pertinent references. Differences in the time of ossification of right and left bones of the hand, especially, have been noticed and studied (Flecker, '42; Noback, '44; Noback and Robertson, '51; Baer and Durkatz, '57).
Asymmetry in weight and length of adult paired bones has been reported, and a few of the records are: Ingalls ('31), Schultz ('37), Trotter and Gleser ('52) and Jolicoeur ('63). These studies give references to many of the earlier reports.
Much of the more recent work has been done on American bones, and especially on the lengths of the long bones of the extremities. The present series of human bones is from Asia, and so far as is known, no study of asymmetry has been reported on similar bones. Furthermore, these skeletons were so carefully prepared and so complete, even to all of the bones of the hand and foot, that it seemed worthwhile