Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

Finger-length ratios and sexual orientation

Nature volume 404, pages 455–456 (2000)Cite this article

Measuring people's finger patterns may reveal some surprising information.

Abstract

Animal models have indicated that androgenic steroids acting before birth might influence the sexual orientation of adult humans. Here we examine the androgen-sensitive pattern of finger lengths1, and find evidence that homosexual women are exposed to more prenatal androgen than heterosexual women are; also, men with more than one older brother, who are more likely than first-born males to be homosexual in adulthood2, are exposed to more prenatal androgen than eldest sons. Prenatal androgens may therefore influence adult human sexual orientation in both sexes, and a mother's body appears to ‘remember’ previously carried sons, altering the fetal development of subsequent sons and increasing the likelihood of homosexuality in adulthood.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Finger-length patterns vary with gender, sexual orientation and birth order.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Manning, J. T., Scutt, D., Wilson, J. & Lewis-Jones, D. I. Hum. Reprod. 13, 3000–3004 ( 1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Blanchard, R. Annu. Rev. Sex Res. 8, 27–67 (1997).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Breedlove, S. M., Cooke, B. M. & Jordan, C. L. Brain Behav. Evol. 54, 8– 14 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Manning, J. T., Trivers, R .L., Singh, D. & Thornhill, R. Nature 399, 214–215 ( 1999).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. McFadden, D. & Pasanen, E. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 95, 2709–2713 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. James, W. H. Hum. Biol. 59, 721–752 ( 1987).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Bogaert, A. F. Behav. Neurosci. 111, 1395–1397 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bailey, J. M. & Pillard, R. C. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 48, 1089–1096 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Hamer, D. D., Hu, S., Magnuson, V. L., Hu, N. & Pattatucci, A. M. L. Science 261, 321– 327 (1993).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gorman, M. R. Persp. Biol. Med. 38, 61–81 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Brodie, H. K. H. et al. Am. J. Psychiatry 131, 82– 83 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Mayer-Bahlburg, H. F. L. Progr. Brain Res. 61, 375–398 (1984).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bogaert, A. F. & Hershberger, S. Arch. Sexual Behav. 28, 213–221 ( 1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. McFadden, D. & Champlin, C. A. J. Ass. Res. Otolaryngol. (in the press).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Graduate Groups Neuroscience Endocrinology, 3210 Tolman Hall, MC 1650, University of California , Berkeley, 94720-1650, California, USA

    Terrance J. Williams, Michelle E. Pepitone, Scott E. Christensen, Bradley M. Cooke, Andrew D. Huberman, Nicholas J. Breedlove, Tessa J. Breedlove, Cynthia L. Jordan & S. Marc Breedlove

Authors
  1. Terrance J. Williams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michelle E. Pepitone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Scott E. Christensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bradley M. Cooke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Andrew D. Huberman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Nicholas J. Breedlove
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Tessa J. Breedlove
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Cynthia L. Jordan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. S. Marc Breedlove
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. Marc Breedlove.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Williams, T., Pepitone, M., Christensen, S. et al. Finger-length ratios and sexual orientation. Nature 404, 455–456 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35006555

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35006555

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing