Endocranial capacity of Western Australian aboriginal crania: comparisons and association with stature and latitude.
The endocranial capacities (ECCs) of 73 Western Australian Aboriginal crania were estimated. Using water-standardised mustard seed, ECCs were (in cm3) males--means 1,239, S.D. 92.3; females--means 1,118, S.D. 77.5. The male and female mean values were smaller than those previously published for Australia as a whole; sexual dimorphism (9.7%) was also slightly lower. Comparison of the Western Australian Aboriginal sample with a large Danish sample (Pakkenberg and Voigt, 1964; Holloway, 1980) permitted analysis of factors underlying sex and population differences in ECC. In both samples about 40% of the mean sex differences in ECC could be related to stature differences; for each sex almost 2/3 of the differences between the Western Australian and Danish means appear to be associated with differences in stature and latitude. Allometric adjustments are also involved.
Freedman
L
L
Department of Anatomy and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands.
Blumer
W F
WF
Lofgren
M
M
D001827:Body Height; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002980:Climate; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013696:Temperature; D014904:Western Australia