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The first Seriatum study of growth by R. E. Scammon
Author(s) -
Miller Elizabeth M.
Publication year - 2018
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.23426
Subject(s) - human biology , biological anthropology , snapshot (computer storage) , graph , biology , anthropology , mathematics , sociology , computer science , combinatorics , operating system
Richard E. Scammon's article, “The First Seriatim Study of Human Growth,” provided one of the best‐known visuals in the field of human biology. Scammon resurrected longitudinal height data of one child from Buffon's Histoire Naturelle , converted them to metric, and plotted these measurements as a function of age. The result was the first graph of one individual's growth curve from birth to 18 years of age. This image was subsequently reproduced in numerous texts on human growth and biology. Published in 1927, Scammon's article provides a snapshot of the state of growth research at the time and gives a (literal) picture of the future of human biology. The graph of the growth of one child symbolizes the importance of process and variation in biological anthropology.