ONLY ANTHROPOLOGY AND GENETICS TOGETHER CAN EXPLAIN IN SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES OF THE LAST CENTURY, ANTHROPOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA HAS CONDUCTED TWO MAMMOTH SURVEYS OF ANTHROPOMETRY TO UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICAL VARIATION OF THE INDIAN POPULATIONS UNDER “ALL INDIA ANTHROPOMETRIC SURVEY” AND “ALL INDIA BIO-ANTHROPOLOGICAL SURVEY”. BASIC DATA OF BOTH THE PROJECTS ARE AVAILABLE IN PRINT. AND SOME ANALYSIS HAS ALSO BEEN PUBLISHED IN RESEARCH JOURNALS OF INDIA AS WELL AS ABROAD. ONE NEEDS TO FATHOM THE DEPTHS OF POPULATION, THEIR MIGRATION HISTORY, AND ACCESS TO FACILITIES ALONG WITH A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER PARAMETERS TO UNDERSTAND THE PHYSICAL VARIATION. IN INDIA, IF ONE GOES FROM NORTH TO EAST AND FURTHER NORTH-EAST, STATURE (HEIGHT) DECREASES STEADILY AND THE SAME IS TRUE IF ONE GOES FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. FROM HIGHER TO LOWER CASTES, ALONG THE CASTE HIERARCHY IN EACH REGION, STATURE DECREASES. HOWEVER THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH THE TRIBALS, WHICH CAN NOT SIMPLY BE EXPLAINED BY ACCESS TO RICHES. GENETICS IS YET TO FIND ITS MOORINGS TO UNDERSTAND THE POLYGENIC AND MULTIFACTORIAL TRAIT LIKE STATURE. IT WOULD BE LONG TO UNDERTAKE A STUDY OF THAT KIND, IN THE NEAR FUTURE. ONLY GENETICS AND ANTHROPOLOGY TOGETHER CAN FIND AN ANSWER, FOR SURE.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 10:29:06 +0000
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