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5. DO WE WALK ENOUGH IN MODERN TIME?

DO WE WALK ENOUGH IN MODERN TIME?

Scheffler Christiane (1), Hermanussen Michael (1,2)

1) Human Biology Department, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany; 2) Pediatrician, Gettorf, Germany

Scheffler Christiane, e-mail: christiane.scheffler@uni-potsdam.de.

Abstract

Modern human life style has led to significant decreases of everyday physical activity and bipedal locomotion. It has previously been shown that skeletal robustness (relative elbow breadth) is associated with daily step counts. The aim of the study was to investigate whether other skeletal measures, particularly pelvic breadth, also may have changed in recent decades. Elbow breadth, pelvic breadth (bicristal), and thoracic depth and breadth, of up to 28,975 healthy females and 28,288 healthy males aged 3–18 years from cross-sectional anthropological surveys performed between 1980 and 2012 by the Universities of Potsdam and Berlin, Germany, were re-analysed. Since 1980 relative elbow breadth (Frame index) significantly decreased in both sexes (<0.001). The trend towards slighter built was even more pronounced in absolute and relative pelvic breadth. In contrast, equivalent changes of parts of the skeletal system that are not involved in bipedal locomotion such as thoracic breadth, thoracic depth and the thoracic index were absent. The present investigation confirms the decline in relative elbow breadth in recent decades. Analogous, but even more pronounced changes were detected in pelvic breadth that coincides with the modern decline in upright locomotion. The consequences to health status of the following adult generations in future are unclear. Firstly, the findings underscore the phenotypic plasticity of humans while adapting to new environmental conditions and maybe they are not pathological changes. But the influences of health status in locomotor system cannot be excluded in future. From this point of view we do not walk enough today.

Keywords

bipedal locomotion, modern life style, skeleton breadth measurements

Цит.: Scheffler Christiane, Hermanussen Michael DO WE WALK ENOUGH IN MODERN TIME? // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 3/2014; с. 60-60