Proportionality of the long bones and their relation to stature among Mesoamericans

Abstract

A total of 235 (176 ♂ and 59 ♀) cadavers were measured. Of these blood samples of 132 (103 ♂ and 29 ♀) are drawn. Only those cadavers of which the long bones could be measured afterwards were used in the investigation, and of these only those whose blood was of group O and Rh +. A sample of 98 (69 ♂ and 29 ♀) was thus arrived at and divided morphoscopically into seven categories going from “pure” Indian to “pure” white. With electronic computers, means and standard deviations were calculated for all six unpaired long bones and for stature, as well as the coefficient of multiple correlation among the seven variables, for both males and females. As categories leading from “pure” white towards the other extreme were withdrawn, the sample size was reduced but the coefficient of multiple correlation increased from 0.71 to 0.90 in males, and from 0.74 to 0.94 in females, indicating that a more homogeneous population was being dealt with. Mean stature for this population was 161.50 cm and 149.80 cm for males and females, after 2.5 cm are deducted from cadaveral measurements. As the sample is morphoscopically and serologically as close as one could get to pre‐hispanic conditions and as the statures arrived at are representative of what is known, tables were drawn giving the corresponding values of statures of males and females going from 180 cm to 130 cm at steps of 0.5 cm. It is submitted that until a larger sample is obtained, the newly drawn tables and formulae are more appropriate to calculate stature from long bones of American pre‐hispanic populations than any other hitherto used.