Richards Gareth, Bellin Wynford, Davies William
Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK.
School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, UK.
Early Hum Dev. 2017 Sep;112:14-19. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2017.06.006. Epub 2017 Jun 29.
The relative length of the second and fourth fingers (2D:4D) may be a sex-linked correlate of prenatal androgen exposure. However, the nature of the sex-linkage is controversial, with evidence for both X- and Y-linkage of the 2D:4D phenotype.
To examine transgenerational effects relating to sex-linkage. In addition, assortative mating on 2D:4D was considered, as well as associations between 2D:4D and age and sex.
A family study was conducted. Parents and offspring completed a demographic questionnaire, and digit ratios were calculated from photocopies of participants' hands.
We recruited and phenotyped 585 individuals attending a cultural festival in Wales. 2D:4D information was available for 47 mother-son dyads, 70 mother-daughter dyads, 31 father-son dyads and 30 father-daughter dyads.
Correlations between 2D:4D of parents and children, as well as between mothers and fathers were conducted. 2D:4D was also examined in relation to age and sex.
There was a sex difference in 2D:4D (males<females). Within the dyads, there was a significant positive correlation between mother and daughter 2D:4D, but no significant correlation between mother and son ratios, nor between father and offspring ratios. The overall pattern of correlations (with emphasis on father-son dyads) was not supportive of Y-linkage. There was a positive correlation between 2D:4D and age in children, and a negative correlation between 2D:4D and age in adults, and no evidence of assortative mating. Our data are consistent with the notion of 2D:4D as a sexually-dimorphic, mildly age-sensitive, and transgenerationally-transmitted trait that is more likely to be X- than Y-linked.
第二和第四指的相对长度（2D:4D）可能是产前雄激素暴露的一种性连锁相关指标。然而，这种性连锁的性质存在争议，有证据表明2D:4D表型既与X染色体连锁，也与Y染色体连锁。
研究与性连锁相关的跨代效应。此外，还考虑了2D:4D的选型交配，以及2D:4D与年龄和性别的关联。
进行了一项家庭研究。父母和子女填写了一份人口统计问卷，并根据参与者手部的影印件计算指长比。
我们招募了585名参加威尔士文化节的人员并对其进行了表型分析。获得了47对母子、70对母女、31对父子和30对父女的2D:4D信息。
对父母与子女之间以及父母之间的2D:4D进行相关性分析。还研究了2D:4D与年龄和性别的关系。
2D:4D存在性别差异（男性<女性）。在这些对子中，母女之间的2D:4D存在显著正相关，但母子之间以及父子与后代之间的比例无显著相关性。总体相关模式（重点关注父子对子）不支持Y染色体连锁。儿童的2D:4D与年龄呈正相关，成年人的2D:4D与年龄呈负相关，且无选型交配的证据。我们的数据与以下观点一致，即2D:4D是一种具有性别二态性、对年龄轻度敏感且可跨代传递的性状，更可能与X染色体而非Y染色体连锁。
