The frequency of somatotypes in the Czech adult population

Our study of the frequency of individual somatotypes based on anthropologic investigations of 689 adult Czech probands (373 females, 316 males) ranging in age from 17 to 49 years, by means of our modification of Wankes method, yielded the following results: 1. The mesosomatic type showed the highest frequency throughout the investigated period of life in males and up to the end of the fourth decade in females. The leptosomatic type was relatively uncommon in both sexes, and the pycnosomatic type was encountered only rarely in males. An increase of the frequency of the pycnosomatic type was noted in the fourth and fifth decade in females compared to the younger age groups. In the successive age groups both sexes showed a decrease of the transitional leptomesosomatic type (which was more marked in males) and, on the contrary, an increase of the frequency of the meso-pycnosomatic type (more marked in females). The results obtained require conceivably further verification because of the small number of probands, particularly in the last age group. 2. The comparison of the frequency of all investigated somatotypes in both sexes showed a definite shift towards the mesopycne, and pycnosomatic types in Czech females. 3. Because of the ascertained differences in the frequency of somatotypes in individual successive age groups, the following possibilities are to be considered: a) subsequent generations of the Czech population show some differences in body build; b) the indices which are generally used for the determination of the somatotype undergo changes with age (body height, body weight, length of the trunk, width of the shoulders etc.) and therefore do not represent reliable criteria for the determination of the constitutional type. This shows that the somatotype is not a genotype, but a phenotype. Mit Hilfe einer modifizierten Wanke-Methode werden 689 tschechische männliche und weibliche Jugendliche und Erwachsene auf ihren Somatotyp untersucht. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse zeigen, daß der mesosomatische Typ in beiden Geschlechtern und allen Altersgruppen am häufigsten ist. Der leptosome Typ tritt in beiden Geschlechtern relativ selten auf; entsprechendes gilt für den pyknosomen Typ im männlichen Geschlecht. Dieser Typ nimmt im weiblichen Geschlecht vom 40. Lebensjahr an Häufigkeit zu. Aber auch der mesopyknische Typ zeigt eine zunehmende Häufigkeit bei Frauen mit steigendem Alter. Aus der sich im Verlauf des Lebens verändernden Häufigkeitsverteilung der Somato