Acta Anthropologica Sinica ›› 2004, Vol. 23 ›› Issue (03): 196-199.

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Estimation of the stature of paleolithic man from Salawusu valley

SHANG Hong   

  • Online:2004-09-15 Published:2004-09-15

Abstract: The femur PA88 is more probably supposed as belonging to a female individual based on its median sagittal popliteal diameter of the distal end of shaft and the circumference at the mid-shaft lev-el.Because the femur specimen PA88 was found in the Salawusu gravel of InnerMongolia of China and the geological period could be Late Pleistocene. This paper estimated the stature of individual represented by this specimen according to the regression equations of Mongoloid group first. Based on the median sagittal popliteal diameter, transverse popliteal diameter of the distal end of shaft and the sagit-tal diameter, transverse diameter, circumference at the mid-shaft level the average stature is calculated to be 157.5cm with a formula suggested by Zhang Jizong.
The femur PA88 is not impossible to belong to a male individual based on its transverse popliteal diameter of the distal end of shaft and the sagittal diameter, transverse diameter at the midshaft level. So the stature should be 165.3cm based on its circumference at the mid-shaft level, 169.8cm and 167.0cm with formulae suggested by Wang Yong-hao and M. Trotter respectively.
There are some evidences of cultural communications between the Paleolithic culture at Shuidong-gou site and that in the west. It is not impossible that the cultural and physical characters of the people around the district is similar to that. So the stature of femur PA88 could be considered in a wider way. They are, the stature of female PA88 with the formulae by M. Trotter should be 155.1cm as belonging to Whites and 153.0cm as belonging to Blacks. The stature of male PA88 with the formulae by M. Trotter should be 166. 0cm as belonging to Whites and 163.1cm as belonging to Blacks.
In summary, the individual represented by this specimen should be between 153 cm and 157cm as a female, between 164 cm and 170cm as a male. Compared with other Homo sapiens from Upper Pleistocene in China this individual should be shorter than the Upper Cave Man and taller than the Liu-jiang Man. At the same time this individual should be taller than Beijing Homo erectus as a male.

Key words: Salawusu ( Sjara-osso-gol) valley; Homo sapiens; Stature; Paleolithic age