OBJECTIVES Tool use requires integration among sensorial, biomechanical, and cognitive factors. Taking into account the importance of tool use in human evolution, changes associated with the genus Homo are to be expected in all these three aspects. Haptics is based on both tactile and proprioceptive feedbacks, and it is associated with emotional reactions. Previous analyses have suggested a difference between males and females, and during haptic exploration of different typologies of stone tools. Here, we analyze the correlation between electrodermal reactions during stone tool handling and hand morphology to provide evidence of possible allometric factors shared by males and females. METHODS Electrodermal analysis was used to investigate some specific parameters involved in these reactions, such as changes in the level of attention and arousal. We analyzed the responses of 46 right-handed adults to 20 distinct stone tools while blindfolded. RESULTS Females have smaller hands and a wider range of electrodermal reactions. Within males and females, hand diameters and general hand size do not correlate with the degree of electrodermal level and response. CONCLUSIONS Sex differences in electrodemal reaction during stone tool handling are apparently not due to the effect of hand size or proportions. Differences between males and females are better interpreted as real sex differences, either due to a biological or cultural influences. Hand size does not influence the degree of arousal or attention during tool exploration, suggesting that other factors trigger individual reactions. These results add to a general cognitive approach on hand-tool evolution and tool sensing.

中文翻译：

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手的形态计量学，皮肤电动活动和石头工具的触觉感知。

目的使用工具需要在感觉，生物力学和认知因素之间进行整合。考虑到工具使用在人类进化中的重要性，在这三个方面都期望与人属相关的变化。触觉基于触觉和本体感受反馈，并且与情绪反应相关。先前的分析表明，男性和女性之间以及在对石器工具的不同类型进行触觉探索时存在差异。在这里，我们分析了结石工具处理过程中皮肤电反应与手部形态之间的相关性，以提供男性和女性可能存在的异速因素的证据。方法采用皮肤电分析来研究与这些反应有关的一些特定参数，例如注意力和唤醒水平的变化。我们分析了46名右撇子成年人被蒙住眼睛对20种不同的石器工具的反应。结果女性的手较小，皮肤电反应范围更广。在男性和女性中，手的直径和一般的手的大小与皮肤电化程度和反应程度无关。结论石材工具处理过程中电反应的性别差异显然不是由于手的大小或比例的影响。最好将男性和女性之间的差异解释为真实的性别差异，这是由于生物学或文化的影响。手的大小不会影响工具探索过程中的唤醒或注意程度，表明其他因素会触发个体反应。这些结果增加了关于手动工具演变和工具感测的一般认知方法。