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Adaptive significance of small body size under poor socio‐economic conditions in southern Peru
Author(s) -
Frisancho A. Roberto,
Sanchez Jorge,
Pallardel Danilo,
Yanez Lizandro
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330390216
Subject(s) - offspring , population , demography , body weight , population size , biology , endocrinology , pregnancy , genetics , sociology
The relationship of variations in parental body size to offspring survival has been studied in a population of poor socio‐economic conditions (“Barriada”) in the southern highland of Peru. Parents of small body size, especially mothers, had significantly greater per cent offspring survival than parents with larger body size. In other words, the offspring survival effectiveness of subjects of small body size was greater than that of subjects of large body size. It is postulated that the greater offspring survival effectiveness associated with small parental body size may reflect possible adaptive responses to poor socio‐economic conditions.