Clasp your hands, interlocking your fingers. This feels natural. Now look at which pinky is on the bottom. Try clasping your hands with the other pinky down. It feels weird, right? Kind of like throwing a baseball with your off hand.
And for that, you can thank your parents. That’s because the way you clasp your hands is largely determined by genetics (and independent of whether you’re right-or left-handed).
When you cross your legs, which leg goes on top? Sixty-two percent cross the right leg over, and that’s genetic too. The same genetic link is true of arm crossing.
You may already know that the ability to roll your tongue or move your ears is genetic. So is perfect pitch—the ability to recognize a note plunked on the piano without context. Stuttering is genetic too, as is the desire to seek novel experiences.