Short index finger shows men are as hard as nails

THE length of a man’s fingers can reveal how physically aggressive he is, according to new research.

The shorter the index finger is compared to the ring finger, the more boisterous he will be, University of Alberta researchers said.

But the same was not true for verbal aggression or hostile behaviours, they told the journal Biological Psychology after studying 300 people’s fingers. The trend is thought to be linked to testosterone exposure in the womb.

There is known to be a direct correlation between finger lengths and the amount of the male hormone testosterone that a baby is exposed to in the womb. In women, the two fingers are usually almost equal in length, as measured from the crease nearest the palm to the fingertip. In men, the ring finger tends to be longer than the index.

Other studies looking at finger length have suggested that, in men, a long ring finger and symmetrical hands are an indication of fertility, and women with a longer index finger are more likely to be fertile.

One study found boys with shorter ring fingers tended to be at greatest risk of a heart attack in early adulthood, which was linked to testosterone levels.

In the current study, Dr Peter Hurd found men with the shortest index fingers scored higher on measures of physical aggression than those with longer index fingers.

Dr Hurd is now looking at male hockey players to see if there is any correlation between finger lengths and each player’s penalty record for contact and fouling during matches.