The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-10-17
NO DISTINCTIVE
AMERICAN TYPE
Study of Old American Stock
Shows Heredity Is Still in
Evidence.
RESULT OF E!GHT- YEAR STUDY
Intermarriage of Old Stock With Moro
Recent Elements in Population,
Leaves Little Hope for Truly
National Type.

New YOrk-To determine whether
to an American type Of man and WON
an, the Smithsonian institution, with
DR.. Ales Hrdlicka, curator Of the d.
vision Of physical anthropology in the
U. S. national museum, in charge, has
been carrying on an extensive lnveS-
tigatiOn which has covered eight
years, of the physical and physiology
American element in the population
Of this country. Doctor Hrdlicka
made the first announcement Of this
fundamental study in a paper given
before the second international con-
gress of eugenics at the American
museum Of natural history here.
"There is no American type Of
there is an approach to such type
in physiognomy, stature, build, pig
mentation and in other directions"
Doctor Hrdlicka said. "Heredity is
still most in evidence, but is no long
er absolute. The old Americans are
to an important degree still the Eng
| lish, Scotch, or Dutch of their anceS-
try, but in part they are already
something new, common, acquired in
| this land; they are American. Were
it possible for this stock to breed ex-
clusively among themselves for sew
eral more centuries they, according to
all indications, would produce as dis
tinct a national type as have the va
rious older European nations. But
intermarriage with more recent ele-
ments of the population is so common,
that no hope can be entertained for
any rapid progress in this direction.
Form of head, that was supposed once
to show rapid changes, was found, I'M
der the new environment to be one
Of the most persistent of characters.
Blondes Are Disappearing.
Another prevalent notion that finds
no support in the results of these in
vestigations, is that of any physical
difference between the old Americans
Of the northeast, the Yankees, and
those of the South; there is no diff
ference of any Importance. The peO-
pie of the South are not darker, the
Yankees are not taller. The only re-
gional differences in the old Amer
lean stock are such as are due to diff
ferent ancestry English, Scotch,
Huguenot, etc. But the whole strain
shows plain tendency towards dark
ening of hair and diminution Of
blondness."
1.-THE main characteristics Of the
old Americans are, first of all, a tall
stature. They are, If we disregard
a few small groups, the tallest Of
whites, averaging 5 feet inches in
the men, and 8 feet 4 inches In the
women. This superiority is in part
distinctly American acquisition.
"They are mostly relatively spare
in early adult life, with rather ten
dency to overweight later on. In this
connection there appears one serious
feature-many Of the younger women |
are behind their due standard. Their |
chest, their muscles, are relatively not |
as well developed as are those of the |
men. The men, in the average, are |
in every way a fine lot The non
working women, many Of them, are
physically somewhat neglected, which
calls for an improvement. Naturally
this does not apply to the farm girl
or the athletic girl
But the American woman shows a
superior head. The size of her head
is somewhat above what it usually
Is in relation to the average head OF
the male and it is also perceptibly
above that indicated by her stature
AS the size Of head means CORE
spending size of brain, we have here
a highly favorable condition.
"The form of the head in the old
American stock differs widely, accord
ing to parentage.
Face Shows Progress.
"a much greater progress in Amer
icanizatiOn' is shown by the face Thise
has lost the prominence Of the cheek
bones and that of the angles of the
lower jaw; and in the well-nourished
characteristic straight
sided rather high oval.
1.-THE nose is variable, with tendency
to convex (aquiline) In males, and
concave-convex in females. The
hands, feet, mouth ears, are not
large, but also not small.
"Only healthy men and women be-
tween twenty-four and sixty-five
years Of life and at least three gen
aratiOns American born on each par
entail side, were included in the study
md the majority of the subjects were
examined under standardized condi-
ions and with best instruments as
veil as care at the q. S. national
Doctor Hrdlicka explained
They included unsolicited individuals
rom all walks of life and all occupa-
ions. The length of the study was
aused by the unexpected rarity OF
hose who could fill the requirements.
rhe studies extended to total of TOO
ersons, but to obtain so many it was s
ound necessary to make trips to parts I
f New England as well as southwark |
! particularly interesting group YVES
btained among the mountaineers OF