Abstract: Handedness and language lateralization are the phenomena with transcultural coherence, relevance in human ontogenesis and development, as well as great ecological advantages. So it is necessary to explore the cause of their formation from genetic aspect. It has been proposed that left and right handedness were determined by a pair of alleles respectively in the early genetic model. Recently, with a suggestion to include the language lateralization, the current monogenic model assumed that the alleles could not only determine directional asymmetry, but also affect the odds of its right or left orientation. Under this framework, directional-chance alleles model, recessive X-linkage model and right shift theory were proposed. The models differ in how they account for the location and function of alleles, the distinctions of handedness, sex differences, and the relationship between heredity and environment. Further research should lay emphasis on data validation of language lateralization, and the correlation between handedness and language perception or comprehension. Besides, issues on the genetic pleiotropy, multiple genes collaboration, as well as how genes determine the phenotype are to be explored.

Key words: handedness, language lateralization, heredity, directional-chance alleles model, recessive X-linkage model, right shift theory