[Sex hormone level and body shape of the !Kung San. A contribution to explaining pedomorphic stature of San populations].
In order to test the hypothesis that oestrogens as well as androgens modify the body shape resp. the paedomorphous habitus of !Kung San circulating levels of sex hormones (testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, and oestradiol in the serum as well as free testosterone in the saliva) of 114 healthy !Kung San men from the Northern Kalahari of Namibia were quantitatively determined by means of the radioimmunoassay method. The probands were described by 50 body measurements and morphological characters like gynaecomastia. The results show that sex hormone concentrations and body shape are significantly correlated in !Kung San men as it has been previously demonstrated for non-African samples. This does not only refer to the expression of sexual dimorphism but also to the special aspect of paedomorphism. The hypothesis of Marrett, Davies and Tobias, however, that the paedomorphous type of the San is due to "over-oestrogenization" could not be confirmed. Rather, the comparatively low testosterone level of the !Kung San men seems to be of significance.
Christiansen
K
K
Institut für Humanbiologie der Universität Hamburg.
Winkler
E M
EM
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009276:Namibia; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; D044469:Racial Groups; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D004967:Estrogens; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol
Sexualhormonspiegel und Körperform bei den !Kung San. Ein Beitrag zur Erklärung der Pädomorphie sanider Populationen.