Title
Age and Size at Maturity in Women: A Norm of Reaction?
Abbreviated Journal Title
Am. J. Hum. Biol.
Keywords
MENARCHEAL AGE; ADULT STATURE; BODY-SIZE; SECULAR CHANGES; PHENOTYPIC; PLASTICITY; PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT; PUBERTAL MATURATION; SEXUAL; ORIENTATION; SOUTHERN MEXICO; HUMAN-EVOLUTION; Anthropology; Biology
Abstract
Objectives: We present the first review and meta-analysis of the association between adult stature and age at menarche over a broad range of human societies. We then outline possible biological explanations for observed empirical associations. Methods: We analyzed the association between adult stature and age at menarche in 141 samples from published reports, including 35 samples for which the within-sample association was also reported. Results: Overall and in small-scale societies, later age at menarche is associated with shorter adult stature. However, both between and within samples from industrialized societies, later age at menarche is associated with taller adult stature. Conclusions: The pattern of associations between adult stature and age at menarche may be explicable as a norm of reaction that evolved according to predictions of life history theory. However, nonadaptive explanations are also plausible, especially for the positive association observed in industrialized societies. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 23: 305-312, 2011. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Journal Title
American Journal of Human Biology
Volume
23
Issue/Number
3
Publication Date
1-1-2011
Document Type
Article
DOI Link
Language
English
First Page
305
Last Page
312
WOS Identifier
ISSN
1042-0533
Recommended Citation
"Age and Size at Maturity in Women: A Norm of Reaction?" (2011). Faculty Bibliography 2010s. 1650.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/facultybib2010/1650
Comments
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