Journal of the Anthropological Society of Nippon

Analysis of the Errors in Somatological Measurements in Man

Yasuko SHIOZAWA

1985 Volume 93 Issue 4 Pages 399-408
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.93.399

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Anthropometry plays a fundamental role in various fields of physical anthropology, but we have little knowledge about the error or the reliability of the measurement of the human body. The present study was made to assess the order and source of the error which were inevitable in execution of anthropometry and fluctuating
subject to the effect of training. Subjects consisted of eight females aged 20 s (3 were slender, 2 were obese and 3 were medium ; according to Rohrer index). For each subject, 20 items (i. e., 7 heights, 2 breadths, 3 lengths, 5 circumferences, 2 subcutaneous fat thicknesses and body weight) were measured by 4 observers repeatedly at three successive times in a day and at the day after 2 weeks. The series of variances was analysed according to the analysis of variance method, and the following results were obtained :
1) Standard deviations of errors (σE) varied from 1.0mm (subcutaneous fat thickness to 8.7mm (chest circumference). Errors rate was low in stature and cervical height (less than 0.5%), and high in bi-iliac breadth and waist girth (more than 0.5%).
2) Measurement items more susceptible to the observer's bias presented larger standard deviaton of errors (σE). The deviation of the observers means (σB) was large especially in iliospinal height and biiliac breadth (7.07mm).
3) Concerning the intea-observer and inter-observer stability, the stature was considered as the most stable and reliable measurement, neither influenced by the observer's technique nor by the subject's constitution.
4) Classifying the measurement items according to the kinds of measuring tools, coincidence of observer's and subjects' rankings were examined. Some items of the lengths and the subcutaneous fat thick- nesses showed well coincidence in rankings. The mean value of the most reliable observer did not always coincide with the total mean. Errors of obese subjects were large in the items around the shoulder.
5) In most items, errors became smaller and the accuracy of the measurement increased in the 2nd time examination than in the 1St. It was suggested, therefore, that the effect of training was appreciable.

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An Analysis of Errors in Craniometry

Makiko KOUCHI, Kiyotaka KOIZUMI

1985 Volume 93 Issue 4 Pages 409-424
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.93.409

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Twenty-six measurement items taken three times on 35 crania by 10 observers independently were analysed for the influence of careless mistakes and measurement errors. The median number of careless mistakes per trial was 7.5. Nested analysis of variance showed that 8 measurement items had greater than 10% total error variance (Table 1). The influence of careless mistakes and inter-observer error on population comparison was examined by cluster analyses of several distance coefficients. The results indicated that the influence of mistakes could be minimized by eliminating the outlying measurements outside the range of x±3S. D., and that the measurement items with greater total error variance should be excluded to minimize the influence of inter-observer measurement errrors.

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Allometric Variation on Cuspal Areas of the Lower First Molar in Three Racial Populations

Eisaku KANAZAWA, Mitsuo SEKIKAWA, Junji AKAI, Tadashi OZAKI

1985 Volume 93 Issue 4 Pages 425-438
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.93.425

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Cusp areas of the mandibular first molar were measured in five groups of three racial populations: Japanese male and female, Dutch, and Australian Aboriginals male and female. Total values of five cusp areas were the largest in Aboriginals, 114.9mm2, and the smallest in Dutch, 96.1 mm2. Percent cusp areas (% of total area) do not show population differences. However, there was a tendency that the proportion of these five areas in Aboriginals approximates to those of fossil hominids having large teeth. Correlations between percent cusp areas and the total value show deviations from isometry to allometry. Then, correlation coefficients, regression slope and standard error of slope were obtained from log cusp areas and log total area in order to obtain allometric coefficients. Results of the test for isometry of regression slope show that hypoconid except for Dutch, and protoconid and metaconid except for Dutch and Japanese female have significant positive and negative allometry, respectively. The reason why Japanese female and Dutch do not show allometric trend may due to small size of the tooth and low frequency of 6th cusp. If the statistical allometric trend in the present study is reasonable analogues for allometric relationship within the fossil hominid taxa, the hypothetical reduction of the trigonid in the 'robust' Australopithecus may be an allometric phenomenon.

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Comparisons of Ultrasonic Apparatus and Caliper in Measuring Skinfold Thickness of School Children

Hisahiro MATSUMOTO, Seiichiro INOKUCHI, Yoshio SAWADA

1985 Volume 93 Issue 4 Pages 439-445
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.93.439

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In this study, we compared the skinfold thickness values in the school children measured by a caliper with those obtained by an ultrasonic apparatus.
The results demonstrated a linear relationship between the two methods.
Conclusions are summarized as follows ; 1) There is a linear relationship between the value of skinfold thickness measured by caliper and that by ultrasonic apparatus. 2) This high correlation is seen not only in normal children but also in obese children. 3) Caliper measuring, easy to use and cheap, is suitable to judge the effectiveness of a therapeutic regimen for obese children, in which frequent measurements are required. 4) In judging the effectiveness of a regimen for obese children, accurate data on changes in skinfold thickness are needed.
As shown above, measurement of skinfold thickness by caliper remains an important method in judging the effectiveness of kinesitherapy and alimento therapy for obese children.

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An Osteological Study of Disused Atrophic Bones after Childhood Poliomyelitis

Hajime ISHIDA, Takao SUZUKI

1985 Volume 93 Issue 4 Pages 447-460
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.93.447

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There have been few studies concerned with the influences on skeletal growth after paralytic diseases in childhood. Two Japanese adult male cadavers with disused atrophy of the limbs after childhood poliomyelitis were found in the anatomical dissection practice at Sapporo Medical College in 1984. In the present study, these skeletal materials were observed macroscopically and described according to the morphology of the disused atrophic bones.
The morphological features of the involved parts of the skeletons were observed as the following.
1) In the atrophic (left) humerus of case1, the maximum length and epiphyseal breadth were about 80 percent of the healthy side. The sagittal and transverse diameters of the mid-shaft were about 50 percent of the healthy side (Table 2). On the other hand, in the lower limb of case 2, the maximum length of the atrophic side (left side) was almost 90 percent. The diameters and circumferences of the shaft were 70-80 percent of the healthy side (Table 3). Therefore, in the atrophic long bones, the growth of the bone length and breadth was suppressed. The transverse growth of the long bones was more markedly disturbed than the axial growth.
2) The cross sections of the long bones were smaller and had oval circular shapes without any edges (Figs. 1 and 2). The ridges for the insertions and origins of muscles and the interosseous borders could not be found in proportion to the degree of the paralysis. The left femur of case 1 had a pilaster formation, though the quadriceps femoris muscle was paralyzed and only the adductor muscles seemed to act on the linea aspera.
3) Meanwhile, the epiphyseal regions, offering the attachments for the ligaments, were relatively well developed. Some articular areas of the involved side were deformed with the increased convexity of the articular surface.
4) In addition, HARRIS'S lines (transverse lines) were observed at the distal ends of the left tibia and fibula in case 2 (Fig. 3). This is of interest from the viewpoint of the etiology of HARRIS'S lines and bone remodeling.

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Examination of Nonmetrical Characters of the Form of Innominate Bones from Pleistocene in Japan

Part I Description

Banri ENDO, Hisao BABA

1985 Volume 93 Issue 4 Pages 461-486
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.93.461

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The nonmetrical characters of the principal items defined in this study are observed and described on five innominates discovered from the Pleistocene deposits in Japan. They are compared with various fossil innominate casts and recent Japanese innominates. The character of each item is expressed by thesuccessive categories also defined in this study to enable objective comparisons and nonparametric statistics, which will be shown in Part II. Thegeneral features of the Japanese fossil innominates, except for the Akashi, suggest that they belong to the Pleistocene Sapiens stage.Theircharacteristics are as follows : the concavity of the iliac anterior interspinous border is variable but tends to be more or less deep ; theelevationof the vertical iliac buttress is moderate or traceable ; its root comes around the middle portion of the upper part of the acetabular brim;the supraacetabular fossa and the iliac sulcus are moderately developed ; the angle between the inner iliac and ischial surfaces is also moderate. It istentatively concluded that the Akashi innominate is in the Holocene Sapiens stage and probably modern.

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Sexual Dimorphism in Punjabi Infants

A.K. BHALLA, S. KAUL, V. KUMAR, R.K. PATHAK, P.C. SHARMA

1985 Volume 93 Issue 4 Pages 487-491
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.93.487

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Sexual dimorphism for 12 somatometric traits (9 absolute and 3 generated) was calculated on a group of 154 Punjabi infants by using the formula given by WOLANSKI (1965). The magnitude of differences between male and female infants was found to change with age and these changes were not unidirectional. Periods of greater and smaller differences were found to occur among infants of Punjabi parentage.

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Some Dental Remains of Pre-and Proto-Historic Ages from the Tohoku and Hokkaido Districts of Japan

Yuji MIZOGUCHI

1985 Volume 93 Issue 4 Pages 493-508
Published: 1985
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.93.493

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Permanent teeth of the prehistoric Jomon and protohistoric human skeletal remains from five sites in Tohoku and Hokkaido, Japan, were morphologically observed and measured. Mean values of the dental measurements and frequencies of non-metric tooth crown characters are listed in tables.

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