A probable case of euthanasia amongst prehistoric aborigines at Roonka, South Australia.

Amongst skeletons recovered from an archeological survey at Roonka on the lower Murray River in South Australia was that of a pregnant woman. The position of the full term foetus and evidence of head trauma to the woman suggests that a mercy killing took place following failure of childbirth. The study of this burial provides an insight into Aboriginal society which would not be available from other sources.

Dr. T. Dale Stewart's travels.

Renowned forensic physical anthropologist Dr. T. Dale Stewart traveled extensively to countries all over the world. The reasons for his journeys were manifold. He did fieldwork, took part in congresses, visited scientific institutions, and lectured by invitation at various universities. This paper deals with his journeys in general and with his four visits to Czechoslovakia in particular. Three of them were undertaken in connection with scientific congresses dedicated to Dr. Ales Hrdlicka. Dr. Stewart, as Hrdlicka's successor in the Smithsonian Institution, always chose an appropriate topic for his lecture. His visits to Hrdlicka's native country and town contributed to better mutual understanding and exchange of ideas between physical anthropologists and anatomists from both countries, the USA and Czechoslovakia (the today separate Czech and Slovak Republics).

Ossification of the sesamoid bone at the base of the first finger in Czech boys and girls.

Ossification of the sesamoid bone of the first finger was studied in left hand-and-wrist X-rays of 296 Czech boys and 272 girls 9 to 15 years old using data collected between 1962 and 1966. The logit and the YES or NO methods were used in treating the data. A sesamoid bone, clearly visible to the naked eye, was considered as positive and when it was not yet visible, as negative. The sesamoid bone was developed in 50 per cent of boys at the age of 13.6 years and in 50 per cent of girls at the age of 11.2 years. This stage preceded the age at onset of menarche in Czech girls by 1.9 years. Boys showed a greater variability (SD = 1.4) than girls (SD = 0.8). Both sexes with clearly visible (ossified) sesamoid bones in their first fingers showed to be, on the average, taller and heavier in comparison with the Czech standard and with those boys and girls of corresponding ages without the sesamoid bone. In contrast to the still continuing secular trend in stature in Czech youths, the age of menarche remained in the last cca 30 years unchanged. In view of the close link between bone age and onset of menarche which remained unchanged for the past 30 years, we may consider our finding as still applicable to present-day adolescents.

Vth nation-wide anthropological survey 1991 in the Czech Republic comparison with 1981 data.

The objective of the survey was to assess whether a secular trend still affected growth of the Czech child population and, if necessary, to update national growth standards. The study was designed in such a manner so that trends in child growth, obtained from comparisons of body height, body weight and head circumference from the two successive nation-wide representative surveys (1981, 1991) of the Czech child population, could be followed. Representative random samples of the Czech child population from 0 to 18 years of age were studied with the following number of examined subjects: 86,846 in 1991 and 117,643 in 1981. Nation-wide standards and growth charts for assessment of growth and development of both individuals and specific groups present main outcome of the survey. Statistically significant differences were found in body height (both sexes) and weight (more in boys). No highly significant differences were registered in head circumference. Based on newly assembled data growth charts for assessment of body height, proportionality and head circumference were designed. The findings of this study did not support the hypothesis that the secular trend in Czech child population has already ceased.

[Graphic aids for the evaluation of growth in children]. / Grafické pomucky pro hodnocení rustu detí.

New values of basic anthropological parameters of children and adolescents aged 0-18 years (nation-wide survey of 120,000 children and adolescents in the CSR in 1981) made it possible to design graphic aids for paediatric practice.

[Individual variation in growth in healthy children--long-term study]. / Individuální variace rustu zdravých detí--dlouhodobý výzkum.

A wide range of variously intermingled individual curves of 159 Prague boys and girls is the result of systematic investigations of children from birth to the age of 20 years. The original group of 300 children was created in 1956-1960. All children are healthy and their growth curves display the normal range of variability. In the turmoil of lines a certain order and several basic types of growth can be differentiated. The most striking feature is the wide range due to marginal cases of short or tall stature. The common sign of all curves is the pubertal growth wave which begins in some sooner, in others later. The authors selected groups of children who at the age of 18 years were tallest and shortest and who started the pubertal accelerated growth early or late. These four groups comprising six children each (three of each sex) were subjected to growth analysis and it was revealed that the extreme types of growth can be readily explained genetically and that they can be differentiated already at the age of 4 or even 2 years and that children who markedly differ from the average as regards height and longitudinal measurements have widths and circumferential measurements closer or close to average values. Early maturing children are, as compared with late maturing ones, taller and more developed at the age of 11-14 years, their growth stops, however, sooner and in the end late maturing children catch up with them and some are even taller.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Comparison of basic physical measurements in Czech and Slovak children and adolescents]. / Srovnání základních telesných rozmeru ceských a slovenských detí a mládeze.

The authors compared the Slovak and Czech part of the IVth nation-wide anthropological survey of children and youth from birth to the age of 18 years and evaluated the revealed differences in height, body weight, head and chest circumferences. The results confirm the assumed further approximation of growth values of the two child populations and the gradual equalization recorded in particular in the youngest age groups.

[The effect of heredity and environment on growth, body weight and physical proportions in children and adolescents]. / Ovlivnení rustu, hmotnosti a telesné proporcionality detí a mládeze dedicností a zivotním prostredím.

Thirty-seven characteristics of children examined during the IVth nation-wide anthropological survey in 1981 were evaluated in relation to variables to body weight, height and Rohrer's index. For processing consecutive regression analysis was used which makes it possible to list individual factors (independent variables) according to their ability to explain the variability of dependent variables. The most important signs explaining the variability of all three dependent variables assessed by this method were signs described as genetic (height and body weight of parents) and maturity, birth length and weight which can be conceived in the wider sense of the word also as genetic characteristics which can be influenced by the environment.