El supuesto aumento secular de la estatura a partir de Circa 1800 d. C.

Abstract

On the bases of growth comparative studies, and from comparisons made between adult stature today and that of recent past corresponding populations, several authors have concluded that, in general lines, there exists an increase of stature, called secular trend, equivalent to a gain of pproximately 1 cm per decade in the last 150 years, or what is the same. 6 inches in the last six generations. A general revision of the situation leads us to believe, that contrarily, there is no such a trend per se, arriving at the following conclusions. 1. From comparative growth studies between actual and recent past samples of children it is well known that there exists a clear acceleration of ontogenetic procesess. Nevertheless, neither has it been proven nor is there any evidence that ariiving earlier to a maximum adult stature means necessarily higher final maximum stature in adult populations. 2. The wide differences so far found are largely due to the fact that recent past populations, whose individuals were far from having attained their maximum stature, are erroneously compared to actual populations of the same age, which due to the acceleration of growth processes experimented in recent years have reached final stature earlier. 3. If the previous factor is taken into consideration, the generalized increase of stature in the last six or seven generations does not go approximately beyond 2 or 3 cm. 4. These narrow differences should be atributed rather to a lesser representation of high socio-economic and of rural classes (both taller) in the samples of the recent past in contrast to actual samples which are all-inclusive.