People with thinner faces more likely to be LEFT handed – this is why

A survey of more than 13,000 people found that those with a slender lower face are 25 per cent more likely to be left-handed.

Researchers said that slender jaws have also been associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis.

Professor Philippe Hujoel, of the University of Washington School of Dentistry in the US, said: “Slender jaws are a common facial feature, affecting about one in five adolescents.

“Almost 2,000 years ago a Greek physician was first to identify slender jaws as a marker for TB susceptibility, and he turned out to be right.

“Twentieth century studies confirmed his clinical observations, as slender facial features became recognised as one aspect of a slender physique of a TB-susceptible person.

“The low body weight of this slender physique is still today recognised by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as a marker for TB susceptibility.“

The new research, published in the journal Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition. could explain geographical coincidences, such as the prevalence of slender faces and left-handed people in Britian.

In the early 20th Century, thin people were described as ectomorphs, a term still popular as a reference to dieting and bodybuilding.

Prof Hujoel added: “In a world dominated by an obesity crisis and right-handers, ectomorphs can be different in their desires.

“Popular websites suggest they commonly express a desire to gain weight or muscle mass. Their slightly increased chance of being a ‘leftie’ is an additional feature that makes them different.”