Original articles
Second to fourth digit ratio in elite musicians: Evidence for musical ability as an honest signal of male fitness

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1090-5138(99)00026-4Get rights and content

Abstract

Prenatal testosterone may facilitate musical ability. The ratio of the length of the second and fourth digit (2D:4D) is probably determined in utero and is negatively related to adult testosterone concentrations and sperm numbers per ejaculate. Therefore, 2D:4D may be a marker for prenatal testosterone levels. We tested the association between 2D:4D and musical ability by measuring the ratio in 70 musicians (54 men and 16 women) recruited from a British symphony orchestra. The men had significantly lower 2D:4D ratios (indicating high testosterone) than controls (n = 86). The mean 2D:4D of women did not differ significantly from controls (n = 78). Rankings of musical ability within the orchestra were associated with male 2D:4D (high rank = low 2D:4D). Differences in 2D:4D ratio were not found among instrument groups, suggesting that 2D:4D was not related to mechanical advantages in playing particular intruments. Concert audiences showed evidence of a female-biased sex ratio in seats close to the orchestra. This preliminary study supports the thesis that music is a sexually selected trait in men that indicates fertilizing capacity and perhaps good genes. However, the association between low 2D:4D ratio and orchestra membership and high status within the orchestra may result from testosterone-mediated competitive ability. Further tests of the association between 2D:4D and musical ability per se are necessary.

Section snippets

Methods

Our subjects were 70 symphony musicians (54 men and 16 women) who were recruited from a British symphony orchestra (the Orchestra requested anonymity). The male sample consisted of the following instrument groups: violin (15 subjects), viola (6), cello (6), horn (6), bass (5), trombone (3), percussion (3), bassoon (3), clarinet (2), oboe (1), flute (1), trumpet (1), tuba (1), and timpani (1). The female sample included violin (5 subjects), viola (5), cello (2), harp (1), piccolo (1), oboe (1),

Results

Repeatabilities were high for the 2D:4D ratio (r1 = .99), and the ratio of within-subject measurement error to between-subject differences in 2D:4D was significant (model II analysis of variance, F = 270.43, p = .0001) (Zar, 1984). We concluded that our 2D:4D ratios represented real differences between our subjects.

Mean ages of our musician and control samples were similar (males, musicians x = 41.61 ± 10.19 [SD] years and controls x = 41.83 ± 8.27, t = 0.14, p = .89; females, musicians x =

Discussion

Our sample of elite male musicians had lower 2D:4D ratios than the population norms. There was evidence of significant relationships between 2D:4D ratio and ranking of male musicians within the orchestra. Low 2D:4D was associated with high rank. We found no evidence that 2D:4D was related to mechanical advantage in the playing of particular instruments. Furthermore, female representation in seats close to the orchestra was greater than expected by chance.

Our results are consistent with an

Acknowledgements

Our thanks to the orchestra for permission to measure and to our subjects, musicians, and nonmusicians who showed great patience in allowing us to measure their digits.

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