Anthropometric differences between sicklers and nonsicklers in Zairian adults

From a sample of 1,079 male adult Zairians living in regions where falciparum malaria is endemic 212 sicklers and 867 nonsicklers were compared for eight anthropometric variables. The two groups did not differ significantly in their variances. The sicklers had a higher mean for seven variables, but significantly so for head breadth only. These results are discussed in terms of the balance of the possible effects of the AS genotype on growth and of the possible selective effects of death from malaria in infancy.