Anthropological Review

Biological Anthropology in Poland: Its History and Short Scientific Biographies of the Contributing Professors

2026-01-17T02:19:28Z

Biological Anthropology in Poland: Its History and Short Scientific Biographies of the Contributing Professors Kaszycka, Katarzyna A. The year 2025 marks exactly one hundred years since the founding of the Polish Anthropological Society in Poznań (November 12, 1925), initiated by Professor Adam Wrzosek of the University of Poznań, who became its first president, as well as the 150th anniversary of Adam Wrzosek’s birth. This year also marks the 120th anniversary of the establishment, on the initiative of Kazimierz Stołyhwo, of the first institution devoted to physical anthropology in Poland and the first in Eastern Europe: The Anthropological Laboratory at the Museum of Industry and Agriculture in Warsaw (1905). Year 2026 will record the centenary of the publication of the first volume of the Polish Anthropological Society journal “Przegląd Antropologiczny”, now “Anthropological Review” (1926), and the 170th anniversary of the beginning of anthropology as a university discipline (1856), considered the year when the first anthropology lectures were given at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków by Professor Józef Majer. A number of works devoted to the history of physical/biological anthropology in Poland have been documented in the literature, especially the history of individual centers, published in the 1950s on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the discipline in 1956, as well as studies on the history of Polish anthropology in a more comprehensive approach on other occasions. This article explores the history of biological anthropology in Poland, narrated mostly through short biographies of its founders – the professors whose work and achievements contributed to the development of the discipline, becoming part of the history of science. The biographical histories essentially cover the 19th and 20th centuries and include the professors who have either already made history or who have turned 75 on the date of publication of this article (born up to 1950).; W 2025 roku mija dokładnie sto lat od założenia w Poznaniu Polskiego Towarzystwa Antropologicznego (12.11.1925), zainicjowanego przez profesora Adama Wrzoska z Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego, który został pierwszym jego przewodniczącym, oraz 150-lecie urodzin Adama Wrzoska. W tym roku mija też 120-lecie utworzenia, z inicjatywy Kazimierza Stołyhwy, pierwszej na ziemiach polskich, i pierwszej w Europie Wschodniej, placówki zajmującej się antropologią fizyczną, jaką była Pracownia Antropologiczna przy Muzeum Przemysłu i Rolnictwa w Warszawie (1905). W 2026 roku minie setna rocznica wydania drukiem pierwszego tomu czasopisma PTA “Przegląd Antropologiczny”, obecnie “Anthropological Review” (1926), oraz 170-lecie początku antropologii jako dyscypliny uniwersyteckiej (1856), za który uznaje się rok wprowadzenia pierwszych wykładów z antropologii na Uniwersytecie Jagiellońskim w Krakowie przez profesora Józefa Majera. W literaturze można spotkać pewną liczbę prac poświęconych historii antropologii fizycznej/biologicznej na ziemiach polskich – szczególnie dziejom poszczególnych ośrodków, opublikowanych w latach 50. XX wieku z okazji jubileuszu 100-lecia dyscypliny przypadającej na rok 1956, jak również opracowań historii polskiej antropologii w ujęciu bardziej całościowym z innych okazji. Ten artykuł ujmuje historię antropologii biologicznej w Polsce, opowiedzianą między innymi za pomocą krótkich biogramów naukowych jej twórców – profesorów, których praca i dorobek przyczyniły się do rozwoju dyscypliny, stając się częścią historii nauki. Historie biograficzne obejmują głównie wiek XIX i XX, a wśród nich tych profesorów, którzy albo już przeszli do historii, albo w dniu publikacji tego artykułu ukończyli 75 lat (urodzili się do 1950 roku).

Assessment of the Internal Consistency of Two Polish References in Detecting Short Stature and Obesity in Children and Adolescents

2026-01-17T02:19:28Z

Assessment of the Internal Consistency of Two Polish References in Detecting Short Stature and Obesity in Children and Adolescents Kułaga, Zbigniew; Kotowska, Aneta In paediatric practice, growth references are used by doctors and nurses to evaluate a child’s growth status. We present an assessment of the internal consistency of two Polish references in detecting short stature and obesity in children and adolescents. Key diagnostic thresholds, the 3rd percentile for height and the 95th for Body Mass Index (BMI), were selected for comparison. Percentiles were calculated for hypothetical heights 0.2 cm lower than the third percentile of specific references and 0.1 units lower than the 95th percentile of specific references, in the case of height and BMI references, respectively. The z-scores were calculated and converted to percentiles. MS Excel was used. Around the 3rd percentile of height and the 95th percentile of BMI, there is a discrepancy in the Warsaw growth reference for measured height and BMI, respectively, and the calculated percentile. In the case of the Polish 2010 and 2012 growth references, a hypothetical height 0.2 cm below the third percentile of height-for-age reference yielded percentiles below 3 for all ages in both sexes. The Polish 2010 and 2012 growth references for measurements 0.1 units below the obesity threshold yielded percentiles of 94.69–94.86 in boys and girls. The Polish 2010 and 2012 growth references provide consistent and coherent calculation results for the 3rd percentile of height and the 95th percentile of BMI for children and adolescents aged 3–18 years.

Predicting Facial Anthropometry: A Novel Guide for Facial Reconstruction Using a Nigerian Igbo Sample

2026-01-17T02:19:29Z

Predicting Facial Anthropometry: A Novel Guide for Facial Reconstruction Using a Nigerian Igbo Sample Asiwe, Nicholas; Adheke, Oghenefego Michael; Okon, Michael; Hart, Josiah Soipiriala The present study was conducted to generate facial anthropometry baseline data for adult males and females of Igbo ethnicity in south-eastern Nigeria and to develop facial anthropometric prediction and correlation models. This cross-sectional, descriptive study design involved using 200 males and 200 females. The study criteria included subjects with no history of facial surgery and were within the age interval of 18–35 years. With the aid of spreading and digital caliper, different percutaneous facial measurements were obtained and data collected were analyzed both descriptively and inferentially. There were statistically significant sex differences in all metrics. Mandibular width (MW) correlated with both forehead width (FHW), lower facial height (LFH) and nasal width (NW) for both sexes. Total facial height (TFH) correlated with NW, upper facial height (UFH), mid-facial height (MFH), and lower facial height (LFH), while NW correlated with MW, UFH, MFH, and LFH. Predictive models developed using univariate regression analysis for both sexes showed that MW was a strong predictor of FHW, while UFH, MFH, and LFH were individually strong predictors of TFH (p<0.05). Further, MFH and LFH were significant predictors of FH for both sexes. By using multivariate regression analysis, it was revealed that the combination of both FW and FHW were strong predictors of MW, while the combination of UFH, MFH, and LFH were significant predictors of TFH. Conclusively, these new data should aid forensic and surgical efforts in Nigerian contexts. Our models can be tested on other underrepresented populations to better understand current methods in facial anthropometry.

The Critical Role of Dopamine in the Evolution of Human Intelligence and Thermal Tolerance

2026-01-17T02:19:24Z

The Critical Role of Dopamine in the Evolution of Human Intelligence and Thermal Tolerance Previc, Fred H. Modern humans are unique among anthropoids in many key features, including our advanced intelligence, large brain-body size, thermal tolerance, and endurance capability. The objective of this theoretical review is to update the theory of Previc (1999) postulating the importance of dopamine in human evolution by synthesizing newer findings concerning dopamine’s role in human intellectual and endurance capabilities. Recent evidence further supports the putative role of dopamine in advanced human intelligence (especially cognitive flexibility) and thermal tolerance and endurance. One key breakthrough is a collection of recent studies demonstrating a uniquely human dopaminergic innervation of the striatum and prefrontal cortex—both essential to human cognition. Another potentially important finding is the human-specific mutation of an enhancer to the EN1 gene that controls eccrine gland formation and plays a major role in the development of dopaminergic brain systems. A plausible evolutionary scenario is put forth in which the enhanced thermal capabilities linked to dopaminergic evolution may have gradually led to the enhanced intellects of modern humans.