BIOMETRIC STUDIES OF ARMY CONSCRIPTS IN GREECE: Mean stature and ABO blood-group distribution

A sample of several hundred thousands of army conscripts in Greece was analysed, with respect to a) the average stature by year and place of birth and b) the blood-group distribution. In the stature, there is substantial geographic variability around the mean value of 167.2 cm and a definite time trend, with ascending tendencies during periods of normal social and economic development and depressive effects resulting from deterioration of living conditions. The ABO blood-group distribution in Greece is similar to that prevailing in North-West Europe. It is different from that of the neighbouring countries, where gene q (B) is found in higher proportions than in Greece. Geographic differences do exist, the main one being in the gene p (A), which is less frequent in "old Greece" (the area prior to the Balkan Wars plus Epirus) than in Macedonia, Thrace, the Aegean Islands and Crete. The analysis by year of birth brings forth a surprising (though not very pronounced) trend, according to which the frequencies of genes p (A) and q (B) increase slowly, balanced by a decrease of the recessive gene r (O).