LONDON:

The length of index and ring fingers could predict how well your children will do in mathematics and literacy if he or she is seven years old, shows a new study. Boys whose index fingers were short compared with their ring fingers may excel at numbers and girls with index and ring fingers of similar length also may do better, the research indicates. Scientists led by Dr Mark Brosnan, Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, compared the finger lengths of 75 children with their Standardised Assessment Test (SAT) scores. Scientists believe this is caused by different levels of the testosterone and oestrogen hormones in the womb and the effect they have on both brain development and finger length. “Testosterone has been argued to promote development of the areas of the brain which are often associated with spatial and mathematical skills,” Brosnan, said. “Oestrogen is thought to do the same in the areas of the brain, which are often associated with verbal ability and interestingly, these hormones also have a say in the relative lengths of our index and ring fingers,” he added. The scientists also looked at the boys’ and girls’ performance separately and found a clear link between high prenatal testosterone exposure, as measured by digit ratio, and higher SAT scores in males. They also found a link between low prenatal testosterone exposure, which resulted in a shorter ring finger compared with the index finger, and higher literacy SAT scores for girls, according to health portal Medical News Today.