Zeitschrift fur Morphologie und Anthropologie最新文献

An attempt has been made in this paper to predict maximal aerobic power (VO2max) in healthy Indian males by three important physical characteristics (viz. age, height and body weight) using the technique of multivariate regression analysis for a wide age group ranging from 21 to 58 years. It has been observed that these characteristics can contribute significantly to the prediction of maximal aerobic power. Three combinations of predictors of two predictors at a time have also been tried to predict maximal aerobic power. Out of these three combinations, the combination of age and body weight has the maximum multiple correlation (R = 0.536, P < 0.001) for a group of 146 subjects of healthy Indian males. A nomogram has been constructed to predict VO2max from age and body weight in order to make the developed multiple linear regression equation of more practical utility to the biomedical scientists who may not be well acquainted with the statistical computational work.

In the article the development of skull measurements and head measurements (length and breadth) and of the cephalic index, calculated from these measurements, since the Neolithic period are presented. The results obtained from the historical material are compared with those of living persons. The measurements as well of the skull as of the head show secular changes. The following general trend was found: an increase of body height is connected with a debrachycephalisation and a decrease of body height is connected with a brachycephalisation. It can be emphasized that brachycephalisation/debrachycephalisation are part of the secular trend. Therefore environmental factors are responsible for the described changes of measurements of the skull and the head in a broadest sense.

The present study gives an account of the genetic structure in terms of distribution of a few genetic markers, viz., A1A2B0, Rh(D), G6PD deficiency and haemoglobin among the Rajaka caste population of Andhra Pradesh, India. The genetic relationships of the Rajaka caste with other Andhra caste populations were investigated in terms of genetic distance, i.e., Sq B (mn) of Balakrishnan and Sanghvi. Relatively lesser distance was established between the Rajaka and two Panchama castes. Also, the pattern of genetic distance corroborates the hierarchical order of the Hindu varna system.

This paper examines sexually dimorphic skeletal characters within the face and upper dentition of extant hominids (great ape), not including members of the Hominini. Specimens of Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla, and Pongo pygmaeus are used to help identify likely sex specific characters for the Hominidae. The aim of this paper is to identify extant hominid faciodental sexual features which can be used to help sex fossil specimens. A morphometric and skeletal study of sexual variability demonstrates relatively diverse patterns of sexual variability within the extant hominids. In terms of morphometrics, P. paniscus is relatively non-dimorphic, while P. troglodytes, Gorilla and Pongo display a large degree of sexual dimorphism. In their respective skeletal anatomies, however, each has specific characters which tend to differentiate between the sexes. Some faciodental sex features are shown to be common amongst all four taxa and as such are likely to be important criteria for determining the sex of Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene fossil hominid specimens. The construction of extant great ape sexual ranges of variability are also important in helping to test the fossil ape single species hypotheses. The testing of sex and species ranges of variability should employ range based statistics not only because they are sample size independent, (relative to C.V.) but also because they are of low power.

The present review discusses the heredity of the most famous and important lateral sign, namely handedness. There are some problems in assessing the handedness and so it is not ever easy to describe the phenotype of handedness in relation to the genotype. Another important point is the biological foundation. It is possible to argue that genes are left-right agonistic. All available family studies on handedness are presented and altogether they show a clear intrafamiliar relationship. Data of adoption studies on handedness are rare but they indicate that the effects of shared biological heritage are more powerful determinants of handedness than sociocultural factors. Several genetic models are discussed shortly favoring the Annett- and the McManus-model because they calculate a directional and a fluctuating asymmetry. Finally the present review describes the factors favoring a genetic influence (presence of asymmetries in infants, structural and behavioral asymmetries) and those favoring sociocultural determination (twin data). The body of data offers substantial evidence for the influence of genes.

A cross-sectional growth study has been carried out in Aymara Indians who live in the rural community of Putre located in the Chilean Andes at an altitude of 3,530 m. The sample comprises 153 school-children (77 boys and 76 girls), aged 6 to 19 years, who were born and raised at high altitude, well-nourished and healthy. Their weight, stature and sitting height were measured. From these measurements, total leg length, body mass index (BMI), index of corpulence and cormic index were calculated. The results demonstrate that in the Putre Aymara children the adolescent growth spurt for weight, stature, sitting height and leg length occurs earlier in girls than in boys. There is a significant sex dimorphism beginning at 14 years of age and continuing to adulthood with higher means in males. The physique of the Aymara can be characterized by a large body mass relative to stature as shown by the body mass index. High mean values for the cormic index indicate that the Aymara children have relatively short legs. Compared to reference values of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Aymara children of both sexes are shorter in stature and lighter in weight than US children at nearly all ages. These results are consistent with findings of other authors on Aymara samples from Chile, Bolivia and Peru. However, the Putre Aymara are heavier and taller than most comparative Aymara samples. While the observed inter-ethnic growth differences may be primarily due to differences in oxygen supply as a result of living at different altitudes, the intra-ethnic growth differences could more likely be attributed to dietary factors.

The relationships between height and weight in young healthy males (16-21 years) of hilly areas of Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal were established. It has been observed that the intercepts and slopes of the height-weight relationships of this group of subjects deviate to a high degree from those of Ehrenberg's law-like relationship. It is therefore concluded that Ehrenberg's law-like relationship of the form: log w = 0.8 h + 0.4 may not hold good for the data on height (h) in metres and weight (w) in kilograms for young healthy males of hilly areas of India. The results of the present study are in agreement with our earlier studies.

The author demands an introduction of quality assurance in biological research concerning human beings. He sketches systems which can be built into studies as a quality control. By the example of growth studies he illustrates the problems of theoretical considerations and practicability. He gives an overview of 7 questions arising in anthropometric growth studies: Why? Where? Whom? What? When? Who? and How? In connection with the final one, he discusses and analyzes the possibilities and the different ways of quality assurance in such studies.

A sample of 104 adults underwent testing of body composition by multiple frequency bioelectric impedance analysis (MBIA) under controlled conditions, by anthropometric methods (skinfold thicknesses and BMI) and by the urinary creatinine method. The statistical comparison of body composition parameters (Fat, FFM, TBW), estimated by different methods for the same subjects, pointed out significant differences in mean values. The precision of skinfold and MBIA measurements was evaluated by a second control measurement. Concerning the MBIA, the reliability increased with increasing frequencies. Nevertheless, measurement reliability is higher for skinfolds than for MBIA. Under the condition that there is a real anthropometric technical ability, we affirm that the body composition parameters may at present be better estimated by the skinfold method.