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Body height, weight, and skeletal maturation in Hottentot (Khoikhoi) children
Insights
Hottentot children exhibit slower growth and skeletal maturation compared to related populations. Differences in height and weight increase significantly after adolescence, with skeletal age lagging behind British standards.
Area of Science:
- Anthropology
- Human Growth and Development
- Skeletal Biology
Background:
- Human growth patterns vary significantly across different populations.
- Understanding skeletal maturation is crucial for assessing developmental trajectories.
- Previous studies have indicated potential differences in growth between indigenous African groups and related admixed populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the growth, body weight, and skeletal maturation of Hottentot children with related populations.
- To analyze the relationship between skeletal age and physical growth in these groups.
- To establish normative data for growth and maturation in Namibian and South African children.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving Hottentot children (n=110) and related populations (Rehoboth Basters and Cape Coloreds, n=237).
- Data collected on body height, weight, and skeletal maturation (TW2 method).
- Statistical analysis including regression to assess the relationship between skeletal age and physical growth.
Main Results:
- Related populations (Rehoboth Basters, Cape Coloreds) were taller and heavier than Hottentots.
- Hottentot and Rehoboth Baster skeletal age lagged behind British standards by 1-2 years.
- Linear relationship observed between height increase and skeletal age in both groups, with divergence after adolescence.
Conclusions:
- Hottentot children demonstrate distinct growth and skeletal maturation patterns compared to related admixed populations.
- Skeletal maturation is delayed in Hottentots and Rehoboth Basters relative to British standards.
- Growth disparities between Hottentots and Rehoboth Basters widen significantly during late adolescence.
Abstract:
Growth of body height and weight and skeletal maturation are discussed, based on 49 male and 61 female Hottentot children aged 3 to 17 years from Warmbad, Namibia (South West Africa) and 124 boys and 113 girls aged 1 to 21 years of related populations, the Rehoboth Basters of Namibia and Cape Coloreds from Cape Town, South Africa. The related populations are taller and heavier than the Hottentots, and have almost the same body height as American blacks and whites at least after the age of 18 years. In the Hottentots and Rehoboth Basters, the mean TW2 skeletal age is always less than the British standard by one or two years in both sexes. In general, the Rehoboth Basters have a skeletal age that is intermediate between Hottentot and British children. In both Hottentots and Rehoboth Basters, the increase in body height shows a linear relation to the skeletal age, and the regression curves are almost parallel in both sexes. The differences in body height and weight between the Hottentots and Rehoboth Basters become greater after the skeletal ages of 15 years for boys and 13 years for girls.