Surnames are inherited in much the same way as are biological traits. Since surnames were generally adopted - in Europe during Medieval times - their distribution has become very uneven: analysis of the present geographic patterns provides an insight into the kind of redistribution of genes that has resulted from all the migrations of the intervening years. Using non-technical language and a minimum of mathematics, this book presents a lucid description and evaluation of these studies of the genetic structure of human populations. A special feature is the appendix which presents computer-generated maps and distribution diagrams of 100 common surnames in England and Wales.

No abstract

Adaptation is an aspect of virtually all questions of human biology. Besides their interest in evolution through adaptive selection of the primates, including man, physical anthropologists are concerned with biological adaptability as a human attribute. In this sense adaptation has been examined at three overlapping levels: (i) those represented by differences in the extent of inherent capacities in subpopulations long exposed to different conditions, such as differences in the inherited determinants of body form and skin pigment in peoples in different climatic zones; (ii) adaptations acquired during the growth period of the individual such as residual stunting and reduced caloric needs in individuals receiving low caloric diets throughout childhood; and (iii) reversible acclimatization to the immediate conditions such as the changes which make it easier to work at high altitudes after the first few days there. Greater resilience to change is achieved if adaptations are reversible in each generation or within a lifetime. This implies an evolutionary tendency to shift human adaptability from genetic selection to ontogenetic plasticity to reversible adaptability.

No abstract

By longitudinally linking follow-up restudies of the National Child Development Study it has been possible to examine not only the well-known association of social class with the size of the child, but also with longitudinal growth, and, in addition the effect of social mobility on growth. The relation of type of occupation of the male head of household to height and weight of the child is seen at all ages (7, 11 and 16) but class influence on growth from 7 years onward is minimal. Social mobility is a significant factor especially in relation to stature but is not significantly related to growth after age 7 so the effect of underlying conditions on the children precedes the change of type of occupation by their fathers.