{"id":40292,"date":"2021-02-09T10:13:14","date_gmt":"2021-02-09T10:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cupblog.bluefusesystems.com\/?p=40292"},"modified":"2021-02-09T11:15:03","modified_gmt":"2021-02-09T11:15:03","slug":"childrens-fingers-point-to-mothers-income-level-and-diseases-that-begin-in-the-womb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/blog\/2021\/02\/09\/childrens-fingers-point-to-mothers-income-level-and-diseases-that-begin-in-the-womb\/","title":{"rendered":"Children\u2019s fingers point to mothers\u2019 income level and diseases that begin in the womb"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Low-income mothers may feminize their children in the womb by adjusting their hormones, whereas high-income mothers may masculinize their children, a major study<\/a> based on finger length, led by a Swansea University expert, has found.  <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The phenomenon is an unconscious evolutionary response aimed at boosting their offspring\u2019s chances of successful reproduction.    It helps, in part, explain associations between low income, low levels of testosterone before birth, and major causes of mortality such as cardiovascular disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study<\/a> was based on the relationship between the length of a person\u2019s index and ring fingers, known as the 2D:4D ratio.  A longer ring finger is a marker of higher levels of testosterone, whereas a longer index finger is a marker of higher levels of oestrogen.   Generally, men have longer ring fingers, whereas women have longer index fingers.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2D:4D ratio is a widely-debated measure, that has been the subject of over 1000 studies, but what is significant about the new report<\/a> is that the team examined the ratio in relation to parental income.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Led by Professor John Manning of Swansea University, with colleagues in Austria and Jamaica, the team tested a hypothesis about evolutionary influences on the mother and her children.  This suggests that for higher-income mothers, sons have higher reproductive success compared to daughters.  For lower-income mothers, in contrast, daughters will be more reproductively successful. Known as the Trivers-Willard hypothesis, its senior-author, Professor Robert Trivers was also involved in this new study.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The team used data from over 250,000 people from around 200 countries, who were taking part in an online BBC survey.  Participants were asked to measure their index and ring fingers and given instructions on how to do this accurately.  They were also asked to indicate their parents\u2019 income level.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results showed: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n