Journal of the Anthropological Society of Nippon

A Study on the Normality of Distribution of the Physique Data in the Japanese Youth

Yasuyuki YOKOYAMA

1987 Volume 95 Issue 2 Pages 151-159
Published: 1987
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.95.151

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To examine whether or not the frequeucy polygons of the chest circumference data in 291, 736 Japanese youth from 6 to 21 years old in 1971 were the normal curves, the tests of normality with reference to k-sta-tistics were carried out on the frequency distributions of the chest circumference data. At the additional interest, the skewness and kurtosis observed in the distributions of the chest circumference were compared against those reported for the standing height, the sitting height, and the body weight.
The following results were obtained.
1) The skewness coefficients for the chest circumference data in the Japanese youth were significantly positive with the exception of 14 year-old boys who had symmetric distribution.
2) The maximum and the minimum positive skewness in the distributions of the chest circumference appeared at the ages of 11 and 14 years for the boys, and 11 and 13 years for the girls.
3) Only fourteen and sixteen year-old girls had the mesokurtic frequency distributions in the measure of kurtosis. The significant platykurtosis appeared at the ages from 13 through 17 years in the boys, and from 11 through 13 and 17 years in the girls. Most of the other age groups in both sexes had the significant leptokurtosis.
4) The maximum positive skewness of the boys and the girls appeared at the ages of 11.5, 9 years in the standing height, 11.5, 10 years in the sitting height, 8, 7 or years in the body weight and 10, 10 years in the chest circumference. The maximum negative skewness of the boys and the girls appeared at the ages of 14, 12 years in the standing heiget and 14, 13 in the sitting height. The minimum positive skewness of the boys and the girls appeared at the ages of 14 and 13 years in both the body weight and the chest circumference.
5) The maximum platykurtosis (leptokurtosis) of the boys and the girls appeared at the ages of 13(15), 11(14) years in the standing height, 13(19), 11(21) years in the sitting height, 13(7), 12(7) years in the body weight and 14(7), 17(20) years in the chest circum-ference.

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Incidences of Nonmetric Cranial Variants in Several Population Samples from East Asia and North America

Yukio DODO, Hajime ISHIDA

1987 Volume 95 Issue 2 Pages 161-177
Published: 1987
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.95.161

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Incidence data of nonmetric cranial variants were presented for the Mongolian, Alaskan Eskimo, Canadian Eskimo, Aleut, Ontario Iroquois, Japanese, and Ainu samples. Since the SMITH'S MMDs based on the data of male series were highly correlated with those based on the data of pooledsex series, the latter MMDs were employed for interpopulation comparisons. The results of the cluster analysis and principal co-ordinates analysis faithfully reflected the population relationships so far known. The Ainu series was isolated from all the modern Mongoloid series compared. It was stressed that nonmetric analyses of Aeneolithic Yayoi crania are needed for further elucidation of the population history of Japan.

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Age and Sex Differences of Blood Pressure in Old Age

Yuji TAKASAKI, Shuhei KANEKO, Sadamu ANZAI

1987 Volume 95 Issue 2 Pages 179-186
Published: 1987
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.95.179

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Blood pressure levels in old age, ranged from 63 to 90 years, are reported with special reference to age and sex differences. Data were cross-sectionally collected from the medical examination for the aged at a certain hospital in Tokyo, consisting of 360 men and 500 women who had been under no medical treatment for hypertensive diseases. Blood pressure was recorded with right upper arm at heart level in the sitting position after the subject rested a few minutes quietly. Age difference was examined using the regression analysis of blood pressure on age. This revealed that the systolic blood pressure for females and the pulse pressure for both sexes were signifi-cantly higher in older age groups. Comparison of mean values between both sexes showed the higher level of diastolic blood pressure in males and of pulse pressure in females. Including earlier findings by other investigators, a tendency of blood pressure change in old age is discussed.

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MATERIALS Identification of Japanese Millet from the Gangetsu Site by Means of a Scanning Electron Microscope

Akiko MATSUTANI

1987 Volume 95 Issue 2 Pages 187-193
Published: 1987
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.95.187

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"Hie" is the common Japanese name for Echinochloa utilis Ohwi et Yabuno, and was formerly widely cultivated in Japan, as indicated by its English name of Japanese millet, although, like other millets, it has now declined to the status of a minor crop. This crop is famous for being one of the candidates for prerice cultivates, but as yet few actual samples have been found in archaeological remains. The main obstacle may be the difficulty of identifying it in carbonized form. However, as shown in the case of "awa" (Sataria italica (L.) Beauv.), the observation of the epidermis of floral bracts with the aid of SEM might be helpful in discriminating among them.
In this study, which is a sequel to my previous report, the characteristic cell patterns of this crop are shown by SEM in the samples of archaeological material from historical times from the Tohoku District and are compared with recent samples.

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Daily Follow-up of two children for their height measurements from June 1984 to May 1985.

Masako KAWAEATA, Kumi ASHIZAWA

1987 Volume 95 Issue 2 Pages 195-198
Published: 1987
Released on J-STAGE: February 26, 2008

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1537/ase1911.95.195

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Stature, head and neck height (total head height : stature-7th cervical height), trunk length (7th cervical height-lower limb length), and lower limb length (right iliospinal height) of two children were measured every day within 15 minutes after rising and just before going to bed. The measurement was taken through a year from June 1st, 1984 to May 31, 1985; the children are siblings, sister aged 7.48 and brother aged 5.58 on the first day of the investigation. Based upon growth curves, the following results were obtained :
(1) Stature curves, both of morning and evening, turned upward sharply during 20 days from April to May, in which 1/5 of annual gain was obtained.
(2) Lower limb length curves rose steadily in comparison. More than 90% of annual statural gain was due to lower limb length increase.
(3) Trunk length curves turned upward sharply through April-May such as stature curves. In that term the two chilrden chalked up all of annual gain.
(4) Total head height curves showed little augmentation throughout the year.
(5) In conclusion, stature and lower limb length grow in parallel except in April and May. Sharp rise in April-May and diurnal change in stature are due to those of trunk length. Total head height growth has no connection with statural growth.

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