Digit ratio (2D:4D) in Polish military cadets

What is it about?

The ratio of second-to-fourth digit length (2D:4D), which is generally higher in women compared to men, is a putative marker of prenatal testoterone exposure. Lower 2D:4D is very often linked with greater physical ability and strength and better sporting performance. It was also found associated with propensity towards jobs demanding greater physical ability. The objectives of this paper were to examine the sexual difference in 2D:4D among the students of military and civil courses at a military academy in Wrocław, Poland. The cross-sectional study compared 59 female and 118 male students of military course and 53 females and 64 male students of civil course. Male participants had significantly lower digit ratio than the female in each hand as well as in average values for both hands. The females under military course had significantly lower, i.e., more masculine 2D:4D of left hand, right hand and the average 2D:4D of both hands. than the civil course females. This was not the case in males. On the other hand, the sex difference in 2D:4D was only significant among the civil students, but not among the military course students. In conclusion, higher PT exposure, as represented by lower 2D:4D among the Polish females might be an indicator of relatively increased physical ability and motivation to choose professions which required more strength and endurance.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

It is well known that the second-to-fourth digit length (2D:4D), which is a marker of prenatal testosterone exposure, is generally higher in women compared to men. In other words, lower ratio is indicative of more 'masculine' characters, even within females. Our study showed that this sex difference may not be evident in certain challenging situations, e.g., in military job. The females with more physical ability and motivation to accept challenging jobs usually join this type of courses and they are found to naturally have lower 2D:4D compared to other females who opt for civil jobs. Saying from the opposite direction, the females, who had relatively higher prenatal testosterone exposure and thus having lower 2D:4D, might be prone to accept more challenging jobs.

Perspectives