Sexual hormone level and body shape of the !Kung San. A contribution to the paedomorphism Sanid populations

Bibliographic Data

ID3778837
AuthorsKerrin Christiansen (Universität Hamburg), E-M Winkler
Year1990
Volume48
Issue3
Pages267-277
Publication date1990-09-12
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnthropologischer Anzeiger (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0003-5548 • E-ISSN: 2363-7099
PublisherS ch we iz er ba rt (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1127/anthranz/48/1990/267
PMID2244757
OpenAlexW2463688975
LanguageEN
Citations received7

In order to test the hypothesis that oestrogens as well as androgens modify the body shape resp. the paedomorphous habitus of !Kung San circulating levels of sex hormones (testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, and oestradiol in the serum as well as free testosterone in the saliva) of 114 healthy !Kung San men from the Northern Kalahari of Namibia were quantitatively determined by means of the radioimmunoassay method. The probands were described by 50 body measurements and morphological characters like gynaecomastia. The results show that sex hormone concentrations and body shape are significantly correlated in !Kung San men as it has been previously demonstrated for non-African samples. This does not only refer to the expression of sexual dimorphism but also to the special aspect of paedomorphism. The hypothesis of Marrett, Davies and Tobias, however, that the paedomorphous type of the San is due to "over-oestrogenization" could not be confirmed. Rather, the comparatively low testosterone level of the !Kung San men seems to be of significance.

Androgen · Biology · Dihydrotestosterone · Hormone · Radioimmunoassay · Sex hormone-binding globulin · Sexual dimorphism · Testosterone (patch) · Endocrinology · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Reproductive tract infections research · Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

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