Necati Emre Sahin; Rukiye Sumeyye Bakici; Seyma Toy & Zulal Oner

This study aims to examine the hand morphometry of healthy young individuals from different countries and investigate the differences between countries in typing of hand based on the morphometric values obtained. In the study, 16 different parameters, including two surface areas and 14 lengths, were measured from the right hand of 579 volunteers (250 females, 329 males) from 7 different countries (Turkey, Chad, Morocco, Gabon, Kazakhstan, Senegal and Syria). Factor analysis was performed on the parameters, cluster analysis was performed according to the factor score obtained, and the hand types in the study were determined. As a result of the study, four different hand types were defined, and the distribution of these types according to countries was analyzed. All parameters showed significant differences between countries in both genders (p<0.05). According to the results of the study, there was a difference between male and female hand types between countries. In females, the type 1 hand type was found only in Gabon, the type 2 hand type was found only in Senegal, the type 3 hand type was found in Turkey, Morocco and Kazakhstan, while the type 4 hand type was significantly distributed in Senegal and Gabon (X2 =104.62; df=18, p<0.05). In males, type 1 hand type was found in Turkey, type 2 hand type in Senegal and Gabon, type 3 hand type in Turkey, while type 4 hand type was significantly distributed in Morocco and Kazakhstan (X2 =76.964; df=18, p<0.05).

KEY WORDS: Hand morphometry; Hand typing; Anthropology; Geographic variation; Cluster analysis.

SAHIN, N. E.; BAKICI, R. S.; TOY, S. & ONER, Z. Evaluation of hand morphometry in healthy young individuals from different countries. Int. J. Morphol., 42(4):991-998, 2024.