Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
1) Lomonosov Moscow State University, Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Mokhovaya st., 11, Moscow, 125009, Russia; 2) Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of biology, Department of anthropology, Leninskie Gory, 1, p.12, Moscow, 119991, Russia
Batsevich Valery A., Ph.D., ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3833-1588, e-mail: batsevich53@mail.ru; Loskutova Yu.V., e-mail: ulabox86@mail.ru; Negasheva Marina A., Ph.D., D.Sc., ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7572-4316, e-mail: negasheva@mail.ru
Background. The study of eye color as one of the racial traits is very important for ethnic anthropology, human morphology and genetics. It must be noticed, that in national and international journals, the problems of sexual dimorphism, age-related changes and inheritance of iris color are considered quite rare. Also, the publications about secular (from Latin «speculum» – generation) or epochal changes of eye color are virtually absent. Aim. This study explores the secular changes of eye color in population of the northern regions of European Russia in the middle of XX century and in the early of XIX century. Subjects and methods. Data from the eye color of the Arkhangelsk region population in different years were analyzed. In 1973 and 2001, 289 individuals were examined (aged 17-72). In 2010 years, 468 individuals were examined (aged 17–-61). Also, we included published data from the Northwest Russia survey [Vitov, 1997]. All participants were Russian ancestry. The eye color was defined by using of the scale of Bunak. Also in 2010, by means of iridoskop instrument, digital photos were obtained and new software was used for eye color definition by the scale of Bunak [Dorofeeva, 2010]. Results of the research have been processed with statistical software package STATISTICA 8.0. Results. There was no sexual dimorphism in eye color among all groups (1973, 2001 and 2010 years). Age-related changes were revealed in the numerous representation (2010 data): in older groups the frequency of light eyes is increasing. Secular changes in three generations of the Arkhangelsk region population are in the darkening. In the last half of the century the frequency of dark eyes was increasing gradually: from 1% in the 1955, 2% in the 1973, 5% in the 2001, to 17% in the 2010. Indentified changes might be connected with immigration of people from other regions in the second half of the XX century. The authors do not exclude methodological divergences in definition of eye color by different scientists that is a very great problem in anthropological researches in general.
eye color, the scale of Bunak, sexual dimorphism of eye color, age-related changes of eye color, secular changes of eye color, the Arkhangelsk region
Цит.: Batsevich V.A., Loskutova Yu.V., Negasheva M.A. The study of secular changes of eye color in the Arkhangelsk region population // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2013; 1/2013; с. 104-110
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