Introduction. Analysis of correlations of sexual somatic dimorphism (SD) with the degree of urbanization (quantity of population) and geographic latitude of the residence place is carried out using the material of monitoring of Russian children and adolescents.
Material and methods. The study embraces the wide specter of ethno-territorial samples of children and adolescents from Russia and neighboring countries (literary data), examined through the historic interval 1930-2010 years. To estimate the direction and degree of associations of anthropometric traits (height, weight, chest girth) and ecological factors the classic correlation analysis for pairwise combinations of variables was implemented for age groups of 9-year-old children and 13-year-old adolescents. The quantitative estimation of SD was carried out using Kullback divergence, the analogue of Makhalanobis distance.
Results. Significant correlations of SD of height with both ecological factors for 13-year-old adolescents and SD of weight for 9-year-old children with the quantity of population were fixed on base of the whole data massive. The more homogeneous data base (only Slavonic groups examined in 1960s-1970s) shows significant correlations of latitude with SD of height for 13-year-old adolescents only in combination with the quantity of population of the residence place up to 500 thousands of people; and latitude with SD of weight for 9-year-old children only for million-plus cities. Significant correlations of quantity of population were fixed for SD of height of 13-year-old adolescents in more southern ranges of latitude (37-50degrees), for SD of weight for 9-year-old children in more northern ranges of latitude (50 degrees and more).
Keywords:
anthropological variability; sexual somatic dimorphism; level of urbanization and latitude of the residence place; second childhood; adolescence; quantitative level of anthropoecological correlations
Introduction. In recent years, laser-based rangefinders have been considered as a possible alternative to mechanical anthropometers. One of these instruments is the KAFA-Laser anthropometer (KAFA, Russia). Our aim was to test the accuracy and reproducibility of the KAFA-Laser anthropometer when measuring height of anthropometric points.
Materials and methods. Using anthropometers GPM (DKSH, Switzerland) and KAFA-Laser, paired measurements of the height of 9 anthropometric points were carried out on 10 males aged 18-47 years. The measurements were performed by 3 researchers having different experience, 3 times in succession. The accuracy of measurements with the KAFA-Laser instrument was assessed by comparison with the GPM data. Intergroup differences were assessed using Wilcoxon signed rank test. Technical measurement errors and reliability coefficients were assessed.
Results and discussion. The difference in the height of anthropometric points when measured with the KAFA-Laser and GPM anthropometers significantly depended on the qualification of the measurers and was minimal (+0.0-0.5 cm) for researcher 1, a more experienced user of the KAFA-Laser anthropometer (absence of significant differences for 7 out of 9 points). The mean standard deviations for researcher 1 were lower than those for researchers 2 and 3 and were consistent with traditional anthropometry. Measurements with the GPM anthropometer showed lower individual, inter-individual, and total technical errors. Measurements of the vertex point were characterized by low values of technical measurement errors and high coefficients of reliability (0.94 and 0.95, respectively), and for the remaining points varied widely, which indicates the relevance of implementing objective quality control of anthropometric measurements.
Introduction. The problem of human adaptation to modern realities, including living in cities, changing the traditional diet, and significantly reducing physical stress on the body in everyday life is becoming increasingly relevant all over the world. In this vein, experts from various fields of science pay attention to the study of general secular trends and a more detailed analysis of individual components of this phenomenon, including body composition and other somatic characteristics of specific social and/or gender and age groups of the population. Of particular interest are data on urban populations that have recently migrated from rural areas, against the background of significant socio-economic transformations in the countries of the Global South, as well as a comparison of data from different regions of the world to identify common and population-specific indicators of adaptation.
Materials and methods. The paper presents data on students from three populations (684 individuals, 343 of them men and 341 women): Tanzanian (natives of the Bantu peoples from Dodoma), Russian (residents of Tula) and Buryat (residents of Ulan-Ude). The age ranges from 17 to 30 years, the average age was 21.28±2.75 y. A number of anthropometric characteristics and body composition were measured.
Results. Our data indicate the presence of sexual dimorphism in each of the studied populations according to the complex of morphological characteristics and body composition. It is noteworthy that Russian students (Caucasians) had more pronounced sexual dimorphism compared to Tanzanians (Negroids) and Buryats (Mongoloids).
Introduction. Greek sculpture and vase painting, despite the comprehensive study of specialists in many fields of science, can represent a source of information for historical and biological anthropology. The vase painting and sculpture of the ancient Greeks has been studied in the context of ethnic and biological continuity with the modern Greek population.
Materials and methods. A total of 1020 vases (2379 people) and 174 reliefs (300 people) were studied. Two characteristics were studied – the development of tertiary hair growth (beard growth) and the nature of the head hair of ancient and modern Greeks. The material was collected from online sources and relevant literature, and processed according to anthropological methods. The composite portrait according to F. Galton method in digital format has been used to visualize morphological variability.
Results and discussion. Modern Greeks (the middle total type of the population) are characterized by straight or lightly wavy head hair (middle score 1.41) and most often above middle or heavy beard growth (middle score 3.38). The proportion of straight and wavy hair in all vase painting samples is approximately the same, with wavy hair significantly predominant. The middle scores for hair nature and beard growth based on relief funeral images of ancient Greeks in our samples turned out to be significantly higher than for modern Greeks and amounted to: for nature of the hair – 2,62 points for classical time and 2,81 points for late classical and hellenistic times, for beard growth – 4,38 points and 4,30 points, respectively.
Introduction. The article presents the preliminary results of the anthropological expedition to Barnaul, Altai Krai (Siberian Federal District), conducted in September 2023 in order to study long-term (over the past 70 years) changes in body sizes among modern youth in this region. One of the main practical tasks of the study was the development of relevant standards (reference tables) for assessing the level of physical development of students in Altai Krai.
Materials and methods. The study group consisted of 295 young men and women aged 17–23, mainly (more than 92%) Russians by nationality. Subjects were examined according to a comprehensive anthropometric program including measurement of total body sizes, shoulder and pelvic breadths, trunk and limb circumferences, five skinfolds, and grip strength on right hand.
Results. The average height of young males born in Barnaul increased by 10,5 cm across birth cohorts from the 1930s to the 2000-2006s. The rate of secular increase in height is about 1,5 cm per decade. Intergroup comparisons of body height in female samples from Barnaul demonstrated an increase in height in modern women by 5 cm compared with the cohorts born in the 1940s (about 0,8 cm per decade). Long-term changes in anthropometric parameters in Barnaul are comparable with the general secular trend in Russia and consistent with the hypothesis of the dominant influence of socio-economic factors on intergenerational transformation of the physique of children, adolescents, and young adults.
Introduction.
Primates living in groups in the laboratory can exhibit a wide range of behaviors consistent with their natural behavioral repertoire. The study of adolescent macaques’ behavior grouped together in new social group is of interest for understanding the social organization of preschool children, as well as for anthropology in general. The goal of the work is to reveal the individual and sex differences of behavioral activity of unrelated adolescent rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), grouped in new laboratory conditions.
Materials and methods. We conducted focal observations recording the behavior activity of each macaque in the first two months of their cohabitation. We analyzed individual and sex differences in the manifestation of locomotor, exploratory and social behavior.
Results.
Individual characteristics of macaques for each type of behavior were identified. The group turned out to be the most heterogeneous in the degree of manifestation of exploratory behavior. The exploratory activity of females was significantly higher than that of males. Social activity was significantly higher in males due to the predominance of friendly reactions, although aggression was equally demonstrated in both sexes. However, females were significantly more often exposed to aggression from other individuals than they showed it themselves. As for males, aggression towards other individuals and aggression from other individuals did not differ significantly. Most individuals in the group demonstrated more friendliness reactions than aggression, but two macaques showed these types of behavior equally. There were no differences in the number of locomotor reactions between males and females.
Introduction. Paleoanthropological studies of Medieval North African materials are extremely few. Despite the large number of international expeditions working in the region, very few results of craniometric and osteometric data are presented. This is partly due to the loss of practical measurement skills in European anthropological schools in the second half of the 20th century, partly due to the difficulties of studying the graves of the Islamic period. Several seasons of work of the Nubian Archaeological and Anthropological Expedition of the Research Institute and the Museum of Anthropology of Lomonosov Moscow State University on the Southern Necropolis of the medieval site Derakheyb (Republic of Sudan) were devoted to the study of this population. The purpose of the publication is characteristics of the medieval population buried in the Southern Necropolis of the Derakheyb site due to osteological features and introducing the new data.
Materials and methods. The material is the bones of the postcranial skeleton of adult individuals (14 men and 9 women). The technique corresponds to the classical program in the modification of V.P. Alekseev (a total of 74 signs and 16 pointers). The reconstruction of the body length was carried out, the total body dimensions were described, and the proportion indicators were calculated. For intra-group analysis, the principal component method was used, which was carried out using individual data using the R language.
Results and discussion. The male population is characterized by average total body size and shoulder width, while the female series is relatively narrow-shouldered. In the male series, the distal parts of the arms and legs are elongated relative to the proximal ones, and the lower limbs are elongated relative to the upper ones. The women's series featured a more graceful physique. The distal part of the leg is elongated relative to the proximal one, as in the male group; there is also some shortening of the upper limbs relative to the lower ones. Body length varies between 166 cm for men and 156 cm for women.
Introduction. The purpose of the study is to characterize and to compare the indicators of fat deposition and body composition in groups of urban children and adolescents of the Republic of Mongolia in various living conditions.
Materials and methods. The material for this study was the results of a comprehensive survey of 5 612 Mongolian children and adolescents aged 9-17 years (born and permanently residing in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar). In accordance with the objectives of the study, the body circumferences, the skinfolds, as well as the body mass components evaluated by bioimpedance technique were analyzed.
Results. Based on the obtained statistical parameters of the studied features, as well as on the results of their comparison in the studied groups, it can be concluded that the value of most of the considered indicators in children and adolescents living in apartments is higher than in their peers living in yurts.
Discussion. The increase in body weight in boys living in the apartments, recorded according to the results of our previous work, is associated with an increase in active cell mass, and, as a result, – lean body mass. To a lesser extent, judging by the existing differences, its value is influenced by the fat component. While the parameters of fat deposition show a small number of significant differences, unlike circumferences, it can also be concluded that the variability of the girths is more associated with the development of the muscular component. Similar patterns were obtained for girls. However, in this case they are less pronounced, but also correspond to the previously obtained results.
Introduction. In 2023, Russian science celebrated the 140th anniversary of the birth of D.N. Anuchin, a scientist-encyclopedist and prominent specialist in the fields of anthropology, ethnology, geography, archaeology, and a promoter and popularizer of science.
Materials and methods. Literary sources were used. Analytical and chronological research methods were applied in the study.
Introduction. The formation of the gene pool of modern Khakas people occurred through the interaction of various groups of ancient inhabitants of the Minusinsk Basin. This article is focused on the inter-group analysis of craniological series representing different Khakassian subethnic groups.
Materials and Methods. The cranial series of the Kachins, Koibals, Sagais, and Beltirs was studied using the battery of 36 cranial non-metric characteristics. The obtained data was compared with data on other populations of Southern and Western Siberia: Shors, Tuvans, Telengits, Selkups, Khants, and Mansis. The analysis of the biological diversity of populations was carried out using Smith's mean measure of divergence (MMD) followed by multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis.
Results. The Kachins are the most distant from the other Khakas subethnic groups, forming a cluster with the Telengits and Tuvans. The Koibals and Beltirs were positioned quite close to the Shors. The Sagais occupied a separate position in the Khakas cluster, presumably due to a greater proportion of Europoid admixture compared to other Khakas groups. The pooled Khakas sample shares similar cranial non-metric characteristics with Turkic-speaking ethnic groups of Southern Siberia: Shors, Telengits, and Tuvans.
Discussion. The nature of phenetic differentiation of the Khakas sub-ethnic groups presumably reveals their complex population history. The position of the Kachins outside the Khakas cluster based on non-metric traits resulted from specificity of their phenofund, which is also supported by molecular genetic data. The similarity in the phenofund of the Khakas groups to those of the Tuvans and Telengits may result from gene flow between Khakas populations and the peoples of Southern Siberia or/and from their common episodes in their ethnogenesis. The similarity between pooled Khakassian sample and the Shors presumably suggests involvement of common genetic components in the gene pools of these peoples, which is consistent with molecular genetic data.
Introduction. The tendency to weight gain is influenced by many genetic and environmental factors (nutrition, level of physical activity, social well-being, etc.), as well as complex interactions of these factors. Studying the genetic factors of obesity can help in developing individual strategies for the prevention and treatment of this common disease. One of the most important hereditary factors is the neurotransmitter systems gene polymorphism, (including the serotonin system gene polymorphism). The aim of the investigation is to study the associations of single nucleotide polymorphism of the rs6295 locus of the serotonin receptor gene 1A HTR1A with morphofunctional features and body weight gain.
Material and methods. The study used the materials of a comprehensive anthropogenetic examination of 386 men and 418 women aged 17 to 30 years. More than 20 morphofunctional indicators were measured using the traditional anthropometric method. The material for genetic analysis was genomic DNA isolated from buccal epithelium. The reliability of intergroup differences was assessed using the Mann-Whitney criterion, while canonical discriminant analysis was used to study intergroup variability.
Results. For the first time, a significant correlation was shown between the polymorphism of the serotonin receptor type 1 gene HTR1A and morphofunctional features: individuals with the G/G genotype with greater body weight have lower (compared to carriers of the C/C and C/G genotypes) values of the indicators of the level of metabolic processes and specific metabolism.
Introduction. The Y-gene pool of the southern Tuvan tribal groups – Soyan and Choodu – was first studied and their comparative analysis with representatives of Kyrgys (south-east of Tuva) and Oorzhak (west of Tuva) tribal groups was carried out. Purpose of the study: to determine the genetic status of the Soyan and Choodu tribal groups within the genetic landscape of the population of Southern Siberia.
Materials and methods. The sample (total N=150) included samples from representatives of Oorzhak (N=42), Soyan (N=29), Kyrgys (N=46) and Choodu (N=33) tribal groups. The genotyping panel included 60 SNP-markers of Y-chromosome, characteristic of the populations of Northern Eurasia.
Results. In the gene pools of studied tribal groups, 27 branches of 7 large haplogroups (C2, J2, N1, O, R1a, R1b) of Y-chromosome were identified. The main part of Choodu, Oorzhak, Soyan gene pools is represented by “North Eurasian” haplogroups (N1, Q) and Kyrgys gene pool is dominated by “East Eurasian” haplogroups C2 and O. The “West-Eurasian” haplogroups, mainly represented by subhaplogroup R1a1a-Z93, account for less than a quarter of the gene pool of all four studied groups, without revealing a clear geographical trend. In the genetic space of the population of Southern Siberia the Soyan, Choodu and Kyrgys, together with other of Tuvan tribal groups, formed the Tuvan-Tofalar claster. Tuvan-Tofalar, Altai and Khakass clusters indicate three sources of gene pool of the indigenous population of Southern Siberia. Maps of genetic distances showed greater similarity of the Soyan and Choodu with the rest of Tuvan tribal groups than with other populations of Southern Siberia. But the map of genetic distances from Kyrgyz reveals a different pattern: areal of genetically similar populations is more extensive, covering southern and southeastern Tuva, Mongolia and western Buryatia.
Introduction. Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between variations in genes regulating human uncoupling proteins (UCP) and environmental factors. However, information on the intra- and interpopulation diversity of allele and genotype frequencies of UCP1 and UCP3 within the territory of Russia remains insufficient. This study aims to investigate the intra- and inter-ethnic variability of genetic determinants of activity of uncoupling proteins UCP1 and UCP3, and to evaluate genotype-environment associations in the populations residing in the northeastern region of Russia.
Materials and methods. Genotyping was conducted on a total of 1,698 biological specimens collected from individuals representing 22 population groups of European Russia, Siberia, and the Russian Far East. Geographical and climatic data spanning from 1940 to 2023 were gathered for each sample collection locality.
Results and discussion. The spatial distribution of genetic determinants affecting the activity of UCP1 and UCP3 uncoupling proteins demonstrates a correlation with the severity of natural conditions. Three regression models of allele frequencies were constructed using climatic characteristics as predictors. All models are statistically significant (p<0.05 in all cases) and explain 39%, 36%, and 64% of the variability in UCP1 (rs6536991, rs1800592) and UCP3 (rs1800849) allele frequencies, respectively. These correlations revealed by the models confirm the adaptability of UCP genes in the indigenous population groups of Northern Eurasia.
Introduction. This research examines and evaluates the comparability of a specific set of anthropometric measurements of facial features obtained through direct measurements and frontal portrait photographs. With the growing trend towards utilizing photography instead of direct measurements, the question of the convergence and comparability between these two methods has become increasingly significant.
Materials and methods. The study was conducted on a sample population of Chuvash individuals, who represent the indigenous population in the Chuvash Republic of the Russian Federation. The material for the study comprised cephalometric data and anthropological photographs of individuals from the Chuvash Republic, surveyed during the 2002 expedition under the guidance of V.A. Batsevich. The sample size consisted of 72 individuals, with 35 women and 37 men. Prior to statistical analysis, the male and female participants were divided into two age groups to account for potential age-related variations. Statistical analysis was conducted using the SPSS software package, applying Cronbach's alpha method.
Results. In this study, gender differences were identified for a range of anthropometric indicators, demonstrating high convergence when employing two facial measurement methods. The obtained values of dimensions were generally comparable in terms of reliability and consistency.
