Can animals be left or right-handed like humans?

According to National Geographic, studies on primates like chimpanzees, our closest relatives, reveal that they too have dominant hands when it comes to tasks like using tools or picking up food. In 2010, The Hindu quoted the Catalan Institute of Human Palaeoecology and Social Evolution, which coordinated the study, as saying in a statement, “The chimpanzees showed a preferential use of the right hand to get the food from the tube.”

Animals like chimpanzees, parrots, cats, dogs, and even kangaroos have shown signs of favouring one paw, foot, or claw more than the other. (AP, file)

In the bird world, parrots often favour one foot for holding food while eating. A 2011 study from the University of Queensland found that about 70% of parrots are left-footed, the opposite of humans. Researchers say this suggests lateralisation might offer survival benefits, such as more efficient brain processing.

Even your pet dog or cat could have a preferred paw. A BBC Earth report noted that when pets were observed doing tasks like reaching for food or stepping forward, many showed consistent paw preferences. Female cats and dogs were more likely to be right-pawed, while males leaned left. Scientists believe hormones might influence this pattern, just as they do in humans.

The real surprise? Kangaroos, who aren’t known for dexterous front limbs, seem to prefer using their left paws for grooming and feeding, according to research published in Current Biology. This widespread presence of handedness in animals hints at deeper neurological evolution than we once assumed.

So, what does this mean? Just like in humans, animal “handedness” reflects how the two sides of the brain handle different tasks. These patterns can give insight into the evolution of complex brain functions and even help scientists study neurological disorders.

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