Independent roles of climate and life history in hunter-gatherer anthropometric variation

Abstract

We investigated the role of two competing ecological pressures (climate and life history) in hunter-gatherer anthropometrics. Data on weight and stature were compiled for 47 male and 37 female populations. Additional measurements (relative sitting height, BMI, and surface-to-mass ratio) were also compiled or calculated. Body size and shape correlate with temperature as predicted by Bergmann's and Allen's rules, but we found that effective temperature is a better predictor of size than the commonly used mean average temperature. We also found that while life expectancy demonstrates a significant correlation with size, it does not correlate with body shape. Life expectancy retains its significant association with body size after controlling for latitude, suggesting that latitude and mortality levels have independent effects on body size. We conclude that patterns of variation in hunter-gatherer anthropometrics have been influenced by at least two distinct selection pressures: climate and life history.