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Polydactyly in the Southwest: art or anatomy—a photo essay

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Abstract

Rock art in the Four Corners area often includes pictures of hands and feet, which may be representational or symbolic. There is correlation between actual metatarsal bones and carvings of polydactyl feet. No duplicated hand bones have been found, but we postulate petroglyphs of polydactyl hands are a reflection of a real congenital difference.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Cortez, Colorado, for its assistance with this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest, commercial associations, or intent of financial gain regarding this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Missouri - Kansas City, 9405 NW Barry Road, Kansas City, MO, 64153, USA

    Maureen A. Hirthler

  2. Department of Orthopaedics Surgery, Childrens Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA

    Richard L. Hutchison

Authors
  1. Maureen A. Hirthler
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  2. Richard L. Hutchison
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Correspondence to Maureen A. Hirthler.

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Hirthler, M.A., Hutchison, R.L. Polydactyly in the Southwest: art or anatomy—a photo essay. HAND 7, 464–468 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11552-012-9459-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11552-012-9459-4

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