P > .05: The incorrect interpretation of "not significant" results is a significant problem.

Statistically nonsignificant (p > .05) results from a null hypothesis significance test (NHST) are often mistakenly interpreted as evidence that the null hypothesis is true-that there is "no effect" or "no difference." However, many of these results occur because the study had low statistical power to detect an effect. Power below 50% is common, in which case a result of no statistical significance is more likely to be incorrect than correct. The inference of "no effect" is not valid even if power is high. NHST assumes that the null hypothesis is true; p is the probability of the data under the assumption that there is no effect. A statistical test cannot confirm what it assumes. These incorrect statistical inferences could be eliminated if decisions based on p values were replaced by a biological evaluation of effect sizes and their confidence intervals. For a single study, the observed effect size is the best estimate of the population effect size, regardless of the p value. Unlike p values, confidence intervals provide information about the precision of the observed effect. In the biomedical and pharmacology literature, methods have been developed to evaluate whether effects are "equivalent," rather than zero, as tested with NHST. These methods could be used by biological anthropologists to evaluate the presence or absence of meaningful biological effects. Most of what appears to be known about no difference or no effect between sexes, between populations, between treatments, and other circumstances in the biological anthropology literature is based on invalid statistical inference.

Commingled crypts: Comparative health among Byzantine monastics in the Levant.

OBJECTIVES: Early Byzantine (A.D. 330-842) monastic rules stipulated that entrants relinquished familial connections, personal belongings and secular relationships to become part of the ascetic collective that continued in death, resulting in bioarchaeological marginalization, as was the case of the monastics excavated from the Chapel of Robebus at Mount Nebo, Jordan (ca. A.D. 491-640). It was hypothesized that compared to contemporary monastic groups, the Mount Nebo monastics experienced poorer health and gravitated to Mount Nebo, owing to its association with the Prophet Moses and proximity to the Dead Sea, Livias baths and Jordan River, all associated with curative benefits, especially for those suffering from leprosy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The commingled remains of 73 adult males from Mount Nebo and the articulated skeletons (n = 27) from the Sanctuary of Agios Lot at Deir 'Ain 'Abata (Jordan) were assessed for paleopathology, then compared with a contemporary commingled group from the Monastery of Saint Euthymius at Khan-el-Ahmar (Judean Desert) (n = 117). RESULTS: No skeletal evidence of leprosy was observed among the groups. Most Mount Nebo individuals did not reach an older age, yet injuries, severe osteoarthritis, lower leg osteoperiostitis and antemortem tooth loss were common. The paleopathological profile was similar at Deir 'Ain 'Abata, but paleopathology was negligible at Khan-el-Ahmar. CONCLUSIONS: The similar paleopathological profiles of the Jordanian monastic groups suggest that the proximity to the Dead Sea may have attracted monastics to both sites, in addition to spirituality, but leprosy was not a factor based on the skeletal evidence.

The what and where of primate field research may be failing primate conservation.

With approximately 30% of nonhuman primate species listed as critically endangered, the window of opportunity to conserve primates is closing fast. In this article, we focus on the degree to which publications in field primatology are biased in favor of particular taxa and field sites. We examined more than 29,000 peer-reviewed articles and identified 876 field visits to 349 field sites. We found a highly clumped distribution by site and species. We also examined publication ethical statements and the extent to which they acknowledged local human communities (<5%). Due to a lack of consistency across publications, we provide recommendations for improving ethical statements and for evaluating research impact. Given the plight of primate biodiversity, these results suggest broader coverage of primate species and geographies, as well as more attention to the local human communities whose support is necessary if the intent is to have primate species in the wild in the 22nd century.

Discrepancies between reported and cadaveric body size measurements associated with a modern donated skeletal collection.

Body mass and stature estimation methods used in biological anthropology require materials with known body size information. There are several types of body size data that can be associated with skeletal collections. However, discussion regarding the reliability and suitability of these types of information for anthropological research is scarce. This paper focuses on differences between reported and recorded cadaver weights and heights associated with a modern donated skeletal collection, similar to these commonly used in anthropological research. In addition, the study identifies factors that may influence these discrepancies. The results show statistically significant differences between reported and cadaver body size information. Generally, reported weights, statures and body mass indices (BMI) were greater compared to the cadaver information in this sample. However, potential effects on these discrepancies varied depending on sex and information type. Age was found to influence stature discrepancy in females, and donation type had an effect on the female weight discrepancy. The results also show that body size range (weight, stature and BMI) can contribute to these discrepancies. Even though the differences between reported and cadaver data may not be significant at the population level, the individual variation can cause misclassifications of individuals depending on the data used. This study encourages researchers using modern documented collections and their body size information to openly acknowledge the types of weight and stature data used and to discuss potential problems associated with them.

[Analysis of young male anthropometric parameters for design of driving and operations in cars].

Fitting formulas of typical parameters were obtained through analysis of anthropometric parameters of armored car driver and operators. These formulas could be a basis for design of product and equipment of cars, cumulating and updating of basic data of similar sample and edition of relative standards. 76 anthropometric static parameters and 11 functional parameters were chosen, and 1 243 soldiers with armored forces were chosen to be tested. The correlation and fitting formulas of body height, sitting height and other parameters were measured and obtained. We also contrasted measured data with data from GJB1835-1993. The present analysis showed that the correlation between sizes of body length and body height and sitting height was significant. Sizes of body length and enclose size and width direction were all increased compared to those in the 1980s. The present results were consistent with other researchers' current research results. The measured data could be an important basis for the data of young male anthropometric parameters and edition of relative standards and design of specific equipment.

Tongue rolling and tongue folding traits in an African population / Rasgos de lengua enrollada y lengua doblada en una población africana

Genetic variations that occur in humans are usually as a result of a plethora of factors which are of enormous value from physical anthropological window especially in studying population variation and human diversity. This study was conducted amongst unrelated volunteer students of Delta State University, Nigeria who were all of Urhobo tribe (71 males) and (72) females aged between 18 years and over to determine their ability to roll or fold the tongues. The frequency of folders (120) and rollers (87) were more common than non-folders (23) and non-rollers (56).The incidence of tongue rolling was higher in females than in their male counterparts. These differences did not however show any statistical significance, p > 0.01. The frequency of R-F was observed to be highest in both males and females (38 and 43) respectively. 22 males and 17 females were observed to be capable of fold but unable to roll their tongue. None rollers and none folders were 9 males and 7 females respectively while rollers and none-folders were the least with frequencies of 2 males and 3 females respectively.

Las variaciones genéticas que ocurren en los seres humanos son, por lo general, resultado de una suma de factores de enorme valor en la antropología física, sobre todo en el estudio de variación de población y diversidad humana. Este estudio se realizó en estudiantes voluntarios no vinculados de la Universidad del Estado de Delta, Nigeria. Todos pertenecientes a la tribu Urhobo, 71 varones y 72 mujeres de 18 y más años de edad. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar su capacidad de plegamiento y enrollamiento lingual. La frecuencia de las lenguas dobladas (120) y enrolladas (87), fue mayor que las no dobladas (23) y no enrolladas (56). La incidencia de la lengua enrollada fue mayor en mujeres. Estas diferencias sin embargo, no fueron estadísticamente significativas, p> 0,01. La frecuencia de RF se observó más alta en hombres y mujeres (38 y 43), respectivamente. 22 hombres y 17 mujeres eran capaces de doblar la lengua pero no de enrollarla. 9 hombres y 7 mujeres no fueron capaces de enrollar la lengua ni de doblarla, mientras que 2 hombres y 3 mujeres fueron capaces de enrollar la lengua pero no de doblarla.

Agenesia del tercer molar en una etnia originaria del Norte de Chile: atacameños o Lican Antai / Third molar agenesis in native ethnia from north of Chile: atacamenos or Lican Antai

Agenesia es la ausencia de dientes por alteraciones genéticas aisladas o sindrómicas. La agenesia del tercer molar está asociada a malformaciones y considerada por diversos autores consecuencia de la evolución humana (Larmour et al., 2005). Son los dientes con mayor prevalencia de agenesia junto a los segundos premolares e incisivos laterales (Fuller & Denehy, 1984). La prevalencia varía entre 9 y 37 por ciento (McNamara & Foley, 2006), en tanto, Arboleda et al. (2006) señalan una prevalencia del 20 por ciento. La literatura señala variables estadísticas porcentuales, por género, por arcada dentaria, por lado y por diente, con escasos artículos sobre grupos originarios de Chile. La población en estudio consistió en 33 hombres y 57 mujeres de 16 a 55 años, de la etnia atacameña, sin exodoncias del tercer molar ni tratamientos ortodónticos y sin malformaciones congénitas. Se determinó el grado de mestizaje mediante técnica serológica de hemo-aglutinación y por aplicación de la fórmula de Bernstein, que demostró 56 por ciento de mezcla indígena. A cada individuo se le tomó radiografía panorámica para observar presencia o ausencia de terceros molares. Se determina un 26,7 por ciento de individuos con agenesia de uno o más terceros molares, con mayor porcentaje en hombres. En la muestra y en hombres hay mayor agenesia de terceros molares mandibulares; en cambio, en mujeres existe mayor agenesia de terceros molares maxilares. Predominan agenesias izquierdas, lo mismo se comprueba en mujeres, mientras en hombres se comprueba igual porcentaje bilateral. Predomina la agenesia de dos molares en ambos sexos. No existen diferencias estadísticas significativas al 95 por ciento y los resultados coinciden con la literatura. La investigación representa un aporte a la antropología del Norte de Chile, pero considerando lo reducido de la muestra, no fue posible determinar variables étnicas.

Agenesis is the absence of teeth by genetic alterations, single or as syndrome. Agenesis of third molar is associated to malformations and is considered by diverse authors a consequence of the human evolution (Larmour et al., 2005). The third molars together with second premolars and lateral incisors are the teeth with greater prevalence of agenesis (Fuller & Denehy, 1984). The prevalence varíes between 9 percent and 37 percent (McNamara & Foley, 2006); Arboleda et al. (2006) indicated a prevalence of 20 percent. Literature indicate variable percentage, by gender, dental arches, side and tooth, with few arricies on original groups of Chile. The population in study consisted of 33 men and 57 women between 16 and 55 years of the ethnic group of atacameños, without extractions of third molar ñor orthodontic treatments and without congenital malformations. Hybridism was determined by means of serum technique by blood agglutination and by application of the formula of Bernstein, demonstrated a 56 percent of indigenous mixture. To each individual a panoramic x-ray was taken to observe presence or absence of third molars. A 26.7 percent of individuals with agenesis of one or more third molars was determined, with greater percentage among males. Agenesis lower third molar predominates in the sample and in men; however in women are greater agenesis upper third molar. In addition, agenesis predominates of the left side in both sexes, while in men equal bilateral percentage is verified. Agenesis of two molars predominates in both sexes. Statistical analyses did not show significant differences at the 95 percent level, and the results, in general, agree with those in the literature. This research represents a contribution to the anthropology of the north of Chile, but it is not possible to determine ethnic variables considering the small sample in study.

Surname analysis in biological anthropology: Alpine populations in the 17th and 18th centuries.

As part of an interdisciplinary research program on Alpine populations, we studied the biodemographic evolution of two populations of the Dauphiné in the period 1690-1799. We analyzed several indexes derived from surname analysis to infer the genetic structure of the populations. Although situated in the same area of the Dauphiné, the two communities of Vallouise and Chiomonte had different biodemographic characteristics. Vallouise was heavily populated but genetically homogeneous, whereas Chiomonte was less populated but more heterogeneous. The two districts also differed in geographic position: Vallouise was a glacier-enclosed valley that did not attract new inhabitants; Chiomonte was situated in an open valley served by important roads and thus was able to attract many new inhabitants. The demographic differences between the two populations explain the differences in genetic structure. The index of isonymous relationship (R(i)) being different from 0 is due to the rare marriages between members of the two populations. Because R(i) is based on surnames, which are mostly polyphyletic, it can overestimate the genetic relationships between the populations, as in the case of consanguinity assessed by matrimonial isonymy.

Is the late Neandertal mandibular sample from Vindija Cave (Croatia) biased?

The late Neandertal sample from Vindija (Croatia) has been described as transitional between the earlier Central European Neandertals from Krapina (Croatia) and modern humans. However, the morphological differences indicating this transition may rather be the result of different sex and/or age compositions between the samples. This study tests the hypothesis that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija mandibular samples are due to sample bias. Mandibles are the focus of this paper because past studies have posited this region as particularly indicative of the Vindija sample's transitional nature. The results indicate that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija mandibular samples are not due to sample bias. This conclusion is consistent with an earlier analysis of sample bias for the Vindija supraorbital sample.

Froude number corrections in anthropological studies.

The Froude number has been widely used in anthropology to adjust for size differences when comparing gait parameters or other nonmorphological locomotor variables (such as optimal walking speed or speed at gait transitions) among humans, nonhuman primates, and fossil hominins. However, the dynamic similarity hypothesis, which is the theoretical basis for Froude number corrections, was originally developed and tested at much higher taxonomic levels, for which the ranges of variation are much greater than in the intraspecific or intrageneric comparisons typical of anthropological studies. Here we present new experimental data on optimal walking speed and the mass-specific cost of transport at that speed from 19 adult humans walking on a treadmill, and evaluate the predictive power of the dynamic similarity hypothesis in this sample. Contrary to the predictions of the dynamic similarity hypothesis, we found that the mass-specific cost of transport at experimentally measured optimal walking speed and Froude number were not equal across individuals, but retained a significant correlation with body mass. Overall, the effect of lower limb length on optimal walking speed was weak. These results suggest that the Froude number may not be an effective way for anthropologists to correct for size differences across individuals, but more studies are needed. We suggest that researchers first determine whether geometric similarity characterizes their data before making inferences based on the dynamic similarity hypothesis, and then check the consistency of their results with and without Froude number corrections before drawing any firm conclusions.

Sexual dimorphism and discriminant function sexing in indigenous South African crania.

This study aimed to examine sexual dimorphism in, and to produce a practical discriminant function for determining the sex of indigenous, Bantu-speaking, South African crania. The types of data to be used were a small number of traditional, or mathematically transformed three-dimensional, linear measurements, comparable to those in use by most physical and forensic anthropologists. The samples to be examined, separately and pooled, were of the Cape Nguni, Natal Nguni and Sotho subgroups. In addition, three local populations ('tribes'--Zulu, Xhosa and Southern Sotho) within these subgroups were also studied. Univariate male/female ratios indicate significant sexual dimorphism in the pooled South African crania. Canonical variates analysis of the pooled sample showed that facial width is the strongest discriminating morphometric variable; cranial length and basi-bregmatic height are the next most significant features. Eight measurements derived from the three-dimensional data were used to produce a series of discriminant functions for sex determination in the pooled sample, for which an accuracy of 77-80% was attained. Analysis of the calvaria and face, separately, has shown that the sex of damaged material can be diagnosed with a reasonable degree of accuracy (75-76%). The new functions for the pooled indigenous South African sample provide improved sex discrimination accuracy compared to those obtained by employing the commonly utilised statistics of Giles & Elliot (1963), even when a modified sectioning point is used. Functions calculated for the separate local populations gave variable and fairly low improvements in sexing accuracy. As the subdivisions at all levels are at present quite rapidly disappearing in South Africa, for most purposes it is now best to simply apply the pooled data functions for sexing crania.

Anthropological characteristics of Bulgarian newborns.

The aim of the study was to assess the specificity of newborns' physical development in Bulgaria at the beginning of the 21st Century. A detailed anthropological research of 219 healthy and full-term newborns (110 boys and 109 girls) was carried out during April-May 2001. In the present study, data about stature, body weight and six standard skinfolds on the body and extremities are analyzed. The relative share of each skinfold regarding the sum of the six studied skinfolds was used to characterize the topical distribution of subcutaneous fat tissue. The sexual differences in the features investigated and their secular changes were evaluated. The results show that even at birth, sexual dimorphism exists in the basic anthropometrical characteristics. Newborn boys were longer and heavier than newborn girls. Girls had thicker skinfolds than boys and a greater relative share of subcutaneous fat tissue on the back and the lower extremities, whereas boys had a greater relative share on the abdomen and the upper extremities. Compared with newborns from past generations, newborns here from both genders had lower mean values of the basic anthropometrical characteristics.

Research trends in human osteology: a content analysis of papers published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

This paper explores recent research trends in human osteology, based on articles published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology (AJPA) during two 5-year intervals: 1980--1984 and 1996--2000. Topical "visibility" is measured in terms of article counts; "impact" is estimated through citation indices. Our results indicate that human osteologists continue to publish a range of methodological, analytical, and descriptive research papers that address a broad array of subjects. Analytical articles are cited more frequently than descriptive articles and thus have higher impact, reflecting the discipline's continued commitment to problem-oriented research. Differences in publication patterns exist between scholars during early and later stages of their careers. Articles published by students and Ph.D.s within 2 years of their doctoral degree are more frequently descriptive than analytical, when compared to people with longer career histories. Topics such as pathology, forensic anthropology, and biodistance modeling remain highly visible, while articles on the dentition have waned. An increase in functional research directed toward the postcranial skeleton is also reflected in our data. While continued visibility for morphological investigations is apparent, the impact of recently developed applications in bone chemistry and molecular anthropology is amply documented in our data, particularly during the more recent survey years.

QTc interval measurement and metabolic parameters in psychiatric patients taking typical or atypical antipsychotic drugs: a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Antipsychotic drugs have been associated with prolongation of the QTc interval on the electrocardiogram, and QTc prolongation is, in turn, associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden death. Antipsychotic polypharmacy has been implicated in reduced survival, possibly secondary to cardiotoxic effects of antipsychotic medication. Abnormalities of glucose homeostasis, which may be more common in individuals with major mood disorders and schizophrenia, also affect the QTc interval. METHOD: We performed detailed assessment of metabolic parameters in 103 psychiatric out-patients, from across the diagnostic spectrum, who had been taking antipsychotic medication (typical, atypical, or a combination thereof) for a minimum of 6 months. We measured the QTc interval in a subset of these patients (N = 65). RESULTS: Only 2 patients (3%) had a prolonged QTc interval. There was a statistical trend (p = .08) toward a lower QTc interval in patients receiving antipsychotic polypharmacy. QTc interval was associated with age (p = .04) but not with any metabolic parameter. CONCLUSION: QTc prolongation in this population is uncommon. There was a significant association between increasing age and QTc interval, but cardiac repolarization was not related to any metabolic parameter. Further large prospective studies of similar patients are needed to confirm these findings.

Impact of character correlation and variable groupings on modern human population tree resolution.

Relationships among modern human populations are often explored through the use of linear measurements taken on the cranium and expressed in the form of dendrograms. However, craniometric variables are strongly correlated and thereby violate the assumption of independence that most statistical analyses require. This study explores the relationship between differing methods of variable treatment and the statistical robustness of the outcomes they yield, as depicted in interpopulational trees of relatedness among modern humans. Three methods of grouping variables are examined. The first method leaves them ungrouped, the second groups variables on the basis of the developmental and/or functional complex of the cranium to which they are thought to belong, and the last method reduces variables by using principal components analysis. The strength of each of these methods is tested through the use of the Continuous Character Maximum Likelihood (CONTML) program in the PHYLIP phylogeny inference package. This program produces output in the form of trees, and the resolution of the branching topology is given as a log-likelihood value, with statistical confidence intervals supporting each branch placement on the tree. The results indicate that leaving variables ungrouped provides misleadingly strong results by failing to account for character correlation. Of the alternative two grouping methods, the covarying components method yields the best-resolved tree with stronger statistical support for its topology than the approach of grouping variables on the basis of their location on the cranium. Finally, the implications for interpreting population histories based on such methods are discussed.

The late Neandertal supraorbital fossils from Vindija Cave, Croatia: a biased sample?

The late Neandertal sample from Vindija (Croatia) has been described as transitional between the earlier Central European Neandertals from Krapina (Croatia) and modern humans. However, the morphological differences indicating this transition may rather be the result of different sex and/or age compositions between the samples. This study tests the hypothesis that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija supraorbital samples are due to sampling bias. We focus upon the supraorbital region because past studies have posited this region as particularly indicative of the Vindija sample's transitional nature. Furthermore, the supraorbital region varies significantly with both age and sex. We analyzed four chords and two derived indices of supraorbital torus form as defined by Smith & Ranyard (1980, Am. J. phys. Anthrop.93, pp. 589-610). For each variable, we analyzed relative sample bias of the Krapina and Vindija samples using three sampling methods. In order to test the hypothesis that the Vindija sample contains an over-representation of females and/or young while the Krapina sample is normal or also female/young biased, we determined the probability of drawing a sample of the same size as and with a mean equal to or less than Vindija's from a Krapina-based population. In order to test the hypothesis that the Vindija sample is female/young biased while the Krapina sample is male/old biased, we determined the probability of drawing a sample of the same size as and with a mean equal or less than Vindija's from a generated population whose mean is halfway between Krapina's and Vindija's. Finally, in order to test the hypothesis that the Vindija sample is normal while the Krapina sample contains an over-representation of males and/or old, we determined the probability of drawing a sample of the same size as and with a mean equal to or greater than Krapina's from a Vindija-based population. Unless we assume that the Vindija sample is female/young and the Krapina sample is male/old biased, our results falsify the hypothesis that the metric differences between the Krapina and Vindija samples are due to sample bias.

R-matrix analysis and patterns of gene flow in India.

An appraisal on the usefulness of R-matrix analysis and the model of Harpending and Ward (1982) to study the population structure of Indian populations is made in the light of prevalent marriage patterns, caste structure, and cultural specificity of the region. With the help of available data on the migration histories and geographical backgrounds of marine fishermen on the east coast of India, and through the historical analysis of marriage patterns, it is demonstrated that the routine inferences based on the regression plots of average heterozygosity versus genetic distance from the centroid may not generally be apt for the Indian situation. Increased heterozygosity among migrant fishermen seems to have resulted from mating patterns within this community rather than from external gene flow. In either case, the genetic implications are supposedly identical. Nevertheless, when making inferences regarding local population structure it is important to have detailed knowledge of mating patterns and the cultural context of the region under study.

Variation among early North American crania.

The limited morphometric work on early American crania to date has treated them as a single, temporally defined group. This paper addresses the question of whether there is significant variability among ancient American crania. A sample of 11 crania (Spirit Cave, Wizards Beach, Browns Valley, Pelican Rapids, Prospect, Wet Gravel male, Wet Gravel female, Medicine Crow, Turin, Lime Creek, and Swanson Lake) dating from the early to mid Holocene was available. Some have recent accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates, while others are dated geologically or archaeologically. All are in excess of 4500 BP, and most are 7000 BP or older. Measurements follow the definitions of Howells [(1973) Cranial variation in man, Cambridge: Harvard University). Some crania are incomplete, but 22 measurements were common to all fossils. Cranial variation was examined by calculating the Mahalanobis distance between each pair of fossils, using a pooled within sample covariance matrix estimated from the data of Howells. The distance relationships among crania suggest the presence of at least three distinct groups: 1) a middle Archaic Plains group (Turin and Medicine Crow), 2) a Paleo/Early Archaic Great Lakes/Plains group (Browns Valley, Pelican Rapids, Lime Creek), and 3) a spatially and temporally heterogeneous group that includes the Great Basin/Pacific Coast (Spirit Cave, Wizards Beach, Prospect) and Nebraska (Wet Gravel specimens and Swanson Lake). These crania were also compared to Howells' worldwide recent sample, which was expanded by including six additional American Indian samples. None of the fossils, except for the Wet Gravel male, shows any particular affinity to recent Native Americans; their greatest similarities are with Europe, Polynesia, or East Asia. Several crania would be atypical in any recent population for which we have data. Browns Valley, Pelican Rapids, and Lime Creek are the most distinctive. They provide evidence for the presence of an early population that bears no similarity to the morphometric pattern of recent American Indians or even to crania of comparable date in other regions of the continent. The heterogeneity among early American crania makes it inadvisable to pool them for purposes of morphometric analysis. Whether this heterogeneity results from different early migrations or one highly differentiated population cannot be established from our data. Our results are inconsistent with hypotheses of an ancestor-descendent relationship between early and late Holocene American populations. They suggest that the pattern of cranial variation is of recent origin, at least in the Plains region.

[Age-related indications for cheiloplasty in congenital and acquired defects of the upper lip--an anthropological study]. / Vuzrastovi pokazaniia za kheiloplastika pri vrodeni i pridobiti defekti na gornata ustna--antropologichno prouchvane.

Age-related changes in width (cheilion-cheilion) and height (subnasale-stomion) of the upper lip are studied in 2300 healthy Bulgarians, with ages ranging from three days to 102 years, for the needs of cheiloplasty in both surgery and fine arts. As shown by the results, at birth the upper lip in either gender appears to be one of the most developed organs of the human body, continuing to augment in size up to the eighth decade of life. In preschool age it terminates its intensive development, and in the puberty period it fails to exhibit the growth leap characteristic of the organism as a whole. Throughout the period of postnatal ontogeny, with the exception of early infancy, the lip in the male gender remains bigger, with the difference for height being rather markedly expressed during the ninth decade (3, 8 mm), and for width--thereafter (5.24 mm). The conclusion is reached that cheiloplasty may be undertaken regardless of the patient's age, during the early postnatal days inclusive, and the dimensions recorded for the age intervals being examined may serve as standard values.