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5. Spatial variability of physical development indices of Russian infants in connection with the climatic and geographical factors

Spatial variability of physical development indices of Russian infants in connection with the climatic and geographical factors

Gorbacheva A.K., Fedotova T.K.

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Moscow

Abstract

Newborn and infants are characterized by the high level of plasticity during the formation of homeostasis and the morphophysiological stereotype in given climatic and geographical conditions, especially extreme ecological conditions. The study subject included 122 samples of 12-months-old infants, the total number of children studied are about 15 000. Main traits of physical development were studied: total measurements, including body length and mass, head and chest circumferences as a measure of proportionality. Climatic and geographical parameters include the insolation level as a factor of skeletal growth, total radiation, the latitude of the settlement, indirectly characterizing the same insolation level, the difference between minimal and maximal month temperatures as the factor of ecological discomfort, minimal January temperature, total climate discomfort evaluated as the influence of the sum of main climatic parameters — temperature balance, winter duration, winter wind frequency, etc. –on life conditions. To evaluate the level and direction of correlations of somatic and geographical factors scatter diagrams were used as the effective instrument while dealing with the valid database of average population values. The associations between anthropometric measurements and their ratio (or body proportionality) of one-year old infants and the level of climatic discomfort of the development niche are shown. The heterochrony of the reaction of total measurements and circumferences to ecological factors results in the geographical variations of somatic types of one-year old infants. The intensification of natural stress is associated with the decrease in circumferences/body length ratio and lepthosomization of somatic type, in fact, with the weakening of physical development and adaptability.

Keywords

anthropology, physical development, infants, geographical and climatic factors

Цит.: Gorbacheva A.K., Fedotova T.K. Spatial variability of physical development indices of Russian infants in connection with the climatic and geographical factors // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2017; 3/2017; с. 44-55