Original scientific paper
Isolation by Distance Between Spouses and its Effect on Boys’ Maturational Timing
Slawomir Koziel
orcid.org/0000-0002-0584-4427
; Department of Anthropology, Hirszfeld Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
Gabriela Białas
; Department of Anthropology, University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland
Monika Zaręba
; Department of Anthropology and Pedagogy, Jan Kochanowski University of Humanities and Sciences, Kielce, Poland
Abstract
Heterosis is thought to be an important contributor to human growth and development. Marital distance (distance
between parental birthplaces) is commonly considered as a factor favoring the occurrence of heterosis and can be used as
a proximate measure of its level. It has already been shown that marital distance appears to be an independent and important
factor influencing the height of offspring. However, there is no study showing this effect on maturational timing
in boys. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of marital radius on age at peak height velocity in boys, controlling
for midparental height and the socioeconomic status of family. Longitudinal, annual height measurements on 740 boys
from 11 to 15 years of age from Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Poland, were analyzed along with sociodemographic data from
their parents. Midparental height was calculated as the average of the reported heights of the parents. The SITAR
model was applied to the longitudinal data of height in order to assess the age at peak height velocity (APHV). As the
measurements were incomplete, the APHV was successfully estimated in only 298 boys. Multiple Linear regression showed
the small, but significant effect of Marital distance on the maturation rate of boys (standardized beta=-0.14; p<0.05). According
to the ‘‘isolation by distance’’ hypothesis, a greater distance between parental birthplaces may increase heterozygosity,
potentially promoting heterosis. We propose that these conditions may result in reduced metabolic costs of growth
among heterozygous individuals, and hence a lowered velocity of growth.
Keywords
maturation rate; heterosis; marital distance; boys; Poland
Hrčak ID:
200206
URI
Publication date:
2.7.2017.
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