DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2015.v03i08.006

Pages: 676-678

The rolling and folding of tongues in man have attracted the interest of many researchers elsewhere but there is dearth of information on these two peculiar traits in Southwestern Nigeria. This present study was carried out among 144 individuals (≥18 years) from the Yoruba tribe of Southwestern Nigeria in order to estimate the frequency of occurrence of tongue rollers and folders and to determine if there was any association between them. Participants were examined for the ability to roll and/or fold their tongues using standard methods. Of the 144 participants, the incidence of tongue rollers and tongue folders were 59.7% and 79.2% respectively. Tongue rolling was higher in females than male but the difference was not significant (ᵡ2 = 1.039, df = 1, p = 0.308). Tongue folding was significantly higher in females than males (ᵡ2 = 4.211, df = 1, p = 0.04). Of the 144 participants, 76 (52.8%) were tongue rollers and folders, 10 (6.9%) were rollers and non-folders, 38 (26.4%) were non-rollers and folders and 20 (13.9%) were non-rollers and non-folders. These classes did not vary significantly with sex (ᵡ2 = 5.895, df = 3, p = 0.117) but there was a significant association between the ability to roll the tongue and the ability to fold the tongue (ᵡ2 = 10.97, df= 1, p < 0.001). This study shows that tongue rollers are associated with tongue folders.