Temporal changes in stature of western Japanese based on limb characteristics

Citation
Y. Wada et H. Motomura, Temporal changes in stature of western Japanese based on limb characteristics, ANTHROP SCI, 108(2), 2000, pp. 147-168
Citations number
13
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Sociology & Antropology
Journal title
ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCE
ISSN journal
0918-7960 → ACNP
Volume
108
Issue
2
Year of publication
2000
Pages
147 - 168
Database
ISI
SICI code
0918-7960(200004)108:2<147:TCISOW>2.0.ZU;2-C
Abstract
We studied temporal changes in the stature and limb characteristics of west ern Japanese during the Jomon to Edo periods for comparison with those of K anto Japanese (Hiramoto, 1972; Yamaguchi, 1986), and to establish norms for Japanese from both regions. Stature was estimated by the formulae of Fujii , Pearson and Trotter/Gleser based on 686 femora, 582 tibiae, 558 humeri an d 569 radii from a total of 511 samples. The leg index was based on 334 low er limbs, while the forearm index was on 284 upper limbs. Stature based on the femur/humerus increased markedly between the Jomon and Yayoi periods, and then decreased between the Yayoi and medieval periods. In contrast, stature based on the tibia/radius, after increasing slightly b etween the Jomon and Yayoi periods, decreased gradually during the Yayoi to Edo periods. On the other hand, the leg and forearm indices decreased betw een the Jomon and Yayoi periods, were maintained between the Yayoi and medi eval periods, and then again decreased between the medieval and Edo periods . These results imply that increases in the stature between the Jomon and Y ayoi periods result from elongations of both the femur and tibia, while dec reases in the index result from elongation of the femur/humerus beyond the tibia/radius. We also found that the stature of Japanese from both western and Kanto regions had changed similarly from the Jomon to Edo periods.