146 CHARLES MIDLO AND HAROLD CUMMINS 



existence of bimanual differences in the dermatoglyphics is 

 in itself of interest as one of the expressions of unlikeness of 

 the body halves. The only previous examination of asymmetry 

 of pattern frequencies in a non-human primate, chimpanzee 

 (Cummins and Spragg), has demonstrated bimanual differ- 

 ences which in part conform to those already known in man, 

 a finding which gives added incentive to a broader survey of 

 the question. 



As to the foot, asymmetry has been emphasized in reference 

 to patterns of human toes (M. T. Newman). On the toes of 

 right and left members the pattern types display unlikenesses 

 of frequency, but differing from those of the fingers with 

 respect to localization on digits and side. Investigation of 

 asymmetry of plantar features has been neglected, and while 

 some authors (e.g., Hasebe, '18; Takeya, '34) have recorded 

 separately the frequencies of configuration types in right 

 and left soles, so slight have been the bilateral differences 

 appearing in collections of material assembled for racial com- 

 parison that many reports have been published with the fre- 

 quencies of right and left sides combined. This situation has 

 led us to re-examine the original tally sheets of plantar con- 

 figurations in some of our racial collections for the needed 

 separate summaries of pattern frequencies in right and left 

 soles, the results being converted to pattern intensity values. 

 The findings indicate the existence of subtile bipedal differ 

 ences, which are here presented for comparison with other 

 primates (table 6). 



Regional asymmetries. The separate listings of pattern 

 intensities in the several regions of palm and sole are included 

 in tables 7 and 8 for those genera in which reasonably adequate 

 numbers are available. For more ready analysis of bilateral 

 differences, and as a measure to offset the limitations of small 

 numbers in some genera, the following groupings have been 

 made for comparison: New T World monkeys, gibbon, great 

 apes, and man. In the three groups which combine several 

 genera each, the figures of tables 7 and 8 are pooled in weighted 

 averages. Both weighted averages and direct averages have 



