LONDON, Aug 20 (Reuters)- Men have higher levels of the sex hormone testosterone if their third finger is longer than their first, according to a scientist from a university in northwest England.
New Scientist magazine reported on Thursday that Liverpool University's John Manning discovered that women, however, have higher levels of oestrogen if their first finger outdoes their third.
Manning said the relative lengths of the two fingers could predict fertility. And as the trait appears while the fetus is in the womb the test may shed light on developmental disorders, such as autism.
In tests of 60 men and 40 women at an infertility clinic, Manning also found that men who have asymmetrical hands produce fewer sperm.
Twelve of his subjects who were producing almost no sperm had up to four differences between their hands.
"Digit asymmetry predicts the number of sperm per ejaculate," he told delegates at a conference in Vancouver this week. "The more asymmetry, the fewer sperm."
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