Morphometric traits predict educational attainment independently of socioeconomic background.

BACKGROUND: Aim of this study is to describe the relationship between anthropometric traits and educational attainment among Estonian schoolchildren born between 1937 and 1962. We asked whether height, cranial volume and face width (a testosterone-dependent trait), measured in childhood predict later educational attainment independently of each other, family socioeconomic position (SEP) and sex. Associations between morphometric traits and education and their interactions with biosocial variables are of scholarly importance because higher education is nearly universally associated with low fertility in women, and often with high fertility in men. Hence, morphometric traits associated with educational attainment are targeted by natural selection and describing the exact nature of these associations is relevant for understanding the current patterns of evolution of human body size. METHODS: Data on morphometric measurements and family background of 11,032 Estonian schoolchildren measured between seven and 19 years of age were obtained from the study performed by Juhan Aul between 1956 and 1969. Ordinal logistic regression was used for testing the effects of morphometric traits, biosocial variables and their interaction on the cumulative probability of obtaining education beyond primary level. RESULTS: Of biosocial variables, family SEP was the most important determinant of educational attainment, followed by the sex, rural vs urban origin and the number of siblings. No significant interactions with morphometric traits were detected, i.e., within each category of SEP, rural vs urban origin and sex, taller children and those with larger heads and relatively narrower faces were more likely to proceed to secondary and/or tertiary education. The effect of height on education was independent of cranial volume, indicating that taller children did not obtain more educations because their brains were larger than those of shorter children; height per se was important. CONCLUSIONS: Our main finding - that adjusting for other morphometric traits and biosocial variables, morphometric traits still robustly predicted educational attainment, is relevant for understanding the current patterns of evolution of human body size. Our findings suggest that fecundity selection acting on educational attainment could be partly responsible for the concurrent selection for smaller stature and cranial volume in women and opposite trends in men.

Evaluation of face shape in Turkish individuals / Evaluacion de la forma de la cara en individuos turcos

The aim of this study was to determine the types of face shape in the Turkish population. Knowledge on face shape is important in anthropology and for planning medical procedures such as in aesthetic, maxillofacial and orthodontic surgery. The study group consisted of 1003 healthy subjects (470 male, 533 female) aged 18­68 years. Mean height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were 1.74 m, 78.65 Kg, 25.80±3.50 kg/m2 and 1.62 m, 60.55 kg, 22.87±3.49 kg/m2 in males and females, respectively. Face length (FL; the distance from nasion to gnathion) and face width (FW; bizygomatic breadth) were measured, from which a Prosopic Index (PI) was determined using the following formula: (PI= FL/FW x 100). The types of face shape were classified according to Banister's classification Type I (hypereuryprosopic), Type II (euryprosopic), Type III (mesoprosopic), Type IV (leptoprosopic), Type V (hyperleptoprosopic) in both males and females. PI was 84.31 (FL: 12.07 cm; FW: 14.34 cm) in males and 85.25 (FL: 11.30 cm; FW: 13.28 cm) in females. In males and females Type I face shape was observed in 18.1 % and 15.6 %; Type II in 35.3 % and 34.3 %; Type III in 33.2 % and 34.3 %; Type IV in 8.7 % and 11.8 %; and Type V in 4.7 % and 3.9 %, respectively. The determination of types of face shape as presented in this study may be useful for aesthetic surgical procedures as well as medical and anthropological investigations.

El objetivo fue determinar los tipos de forma de la cara en la población turca. El conocimiento de la forma de la cara es importante en antropología y para la planificación de los procedimientos médicos como la cirugía estética, maxilofacial y ortodoncia. Se analizó un grupo de 1003 sujetos sanos (470 hombres y 533 mujeres), con edades entre 18 a 68 años. La talla, peso e índice de masa corporal (IMC) fueron 1,74 m, 78,65 kg, 25,80±3,50 kg/m2 y 1,62 m, 60,55 kg, 22,87±3,49 kg/m2 en hombres y mujeres, respectivamente. Se midió el índice prosopo (IP) y se determinó la longitud de la cara (LC: la distancia desde Nasion a Gnathion) y el ancho de la cara (ancho bicigomático: AC) utilizando las siguientes fórmulas: (IP = [LC/AC] x 100). Los tipos de forma de la cara se clasificaron de acuerdo a la clasificación de Banister [Tipo I (hipereuriprosopo), Tipo II (euriprosopo), tipo III (mesoprosopo), Tipo IV (leptoprosopo) y Tipo V (hiperleptoprosopo)], tanto en hombres como en mujeres. El IP fue de 84,31 (LC: 12,07 cm; AC: 14,34 cm) en los hombres y 85,25 (LC: 11,30 cm; AC: 13,28 cm) en las mujeres. En hombres y mujeres se observó la forma Tipo I en 18,1 % y 15,6 %; Tipo II en 35,3 % y 34,3 %; Tipo III en 33,2 % y 34,3 %; Tipo IV en 8,7 % y 11,8 %; y Tipo V en 4,7 % y 3,9 %, respectivamente. La determinación de los tipos de forma de la cara presentados en este estudio pueden ser útiles para los procedimientos quirúrgicos estéticos, así como para las investigaciones médicas y antropológicas.

Face Shape and Behavior: Implications of Similarities in Infants and Adults.

We investigated conceptual overlap between literature demonstrating links between adult facial width-to-height ratio (FWHR) and behavior and that demonstrating links between infant FWHR and temperament by investigating whether babyfaceness is associated with FWHR and behavior at both ages. Babyfaceness was positively correlated with FWHR in both infants and adults. Babyfaceness also was correlated with an infant temperament that is a precursor of bolder behavior in childhood and adulthood, just as a broader infant FWHR was previously shown to be. These results call into question existing explanations for relationships between facial appearance and adult assertive or aggressive behavior. Previously, behavioral correlates of adult FWHR have been attributed to influences of pubertal testosterone, and correlates of adult babyfaceness have been attributed to compensation for undesirable stereotypes. Our findings indicate that the pre-natal developmental influences required to explain appearance-temperament relationships in infancy also should be considered as explanations for appearance-behavior relationships in adulthood.

Study of prosopic (Facial) index of Indian and Malaysian students / Estudio del índice prosopo (Facial) de estudiantes de la India y Malasia

For several generations physical anthropologists measured skulls in the belief that thereby they were likely to obtain results, this would enable them to trace the relationships between the races of mankind. It was believed that the form of the skull in particular remained constant in each race, and that different races typically showed different facial indices. Form of the head and face is now known to be subject to change through environmental influences. Measurement is necessary in order to obtain this kind of knowledge, and in order to be able to give as accurate a description of an individual or group of individuals as possible. The present study aimed at measuring facial index of both sex in Malaysian and Indian students. 300 students of both nations were measured for face length and face width and facial index was calculated. Malaysian males had a mean facial index of 85.72 and females had marginally higher value 87.71. Both belonged to Mesoprosopic face type and were statistically significant. Indian males had a mean facial index of 87.19 where as 86.75 in females. Both belonged to Mesoprosopic face type, and comparison of facial index was statistically not significant. Comparison between Indian and Malaysian subjects indicates that Indians (both sexes together) had a higher (87.04) mean facial index than Malaysians (86.76). However, this difference was statistically not significant.

Por muchas generaciones los antropólogos físicos han medido cráneos con la finalidad de obtener resultados permitiéndoles trazar relaciones entre diferentes razas de la humanidad. Se creía que la forma del cráneo se mantenía constante en cada raza, y que las diferentes razas mostraban diferentes índices faciales. En la actualidad se sabe que la forma de la cabeza y la cara están sujetas a cambios debido a las influencias ambientales. Las mediciones son necesarias para obtener este tipo de conocimiento, con el fin de poder dar la descripción más exacta de un individuo o grupo de personas. El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo medir el índice facial en estudiantes de ambos sexos de Malasia e India. 300 estudiantes de ambas naciones fueron medidos para determinar la longitud de la cara, el ancho de la cara y determinar el índice facial. Los hombres de Malasia tuvieron un promedio de índice facial de 85,72 y las mujeres tuvieron un valor ligeramente superior (87,71). Ambos pertenecieron al tipo de cara mesoprosópicas y las diferencias fueron estadísticamente significativas. Los hombres indios tuvieron un índice facial medio de 87,19, y las mujeres 86,75. Ambos pertenecieron al tipo de cara mesoprosópicas y la comparación del índice de la cara no fue estadísticamente significativa. La comparación entre sujetos de la India y Malasia indicó que los indios (de ambos sexos en conjunto) tuvieron mayor índice facial (87,04) que los malasios (86,76). Sin embargo, esta diferencia no fue estadísticamente significativa.