Evening star., 1925-11-08
Conditions Molding a
New Individual, DIR.
HrdIicka Says.
Differs From Ancestors
of Britain Due to
Local Influences.

What sort of an individual is an
American?
There are a few million specimens
now extant of the mammalian classi-
fication homo SapienS tWhfte) whose
ancestors have lived within the geo
graphical limits Of the United States
for at least three generations.
During that time the climatic,
geographical and economic conditions
Of this country have acted as a mould
for the combination of flesh blood
and bone which makes up the human
body. Out of the mould are coming
members of new raCe--a race des-
tined to become eventually as distinct
as the German or Russian homo
sapiens.
But it would be possible to pick out
one of these "Old Americans on the
street?
1000 Studied i'm Tests.
Would it be possible to distinguish
in a laboratory even, aided by all the
delicate implements of the surgeon
anthropologist, daughter of the
American Revolution from daughter
of the Sein Fein rebellion?
DR.. Ales Hrdlicka, curator of physi-
cal anthropology at the United States
National Museum, has just published
the results OF an intensive study, con
Quoted through Il years, undertaken
to establish standards of measure
ment and color by which it will be
possible to distinguish the type of
Old American. Nearly 1000 subjects
in Washington departments. in Army
camps, in Southern mountains and in
various universities were examined in
the course of this investigation.
The result is fairly composite pic
ture of what the "Old American"
tends toward being.
Type Is Appearing.
individuals vary greatly. There can
be no absolute standard. Great tides
of foreign blood are beating against
he rather pronounced British anCeS-
try of the Old American. DR.. Hrdlicka
makes no attempt to prophecy. He
has found. however, that the Ameri-
can environment does tend to produce
certain physical changes, does mold
loosely into type.
Due to this work of DIR. Hrdlicka.
which he has pursued without inter
miSsioTAsince coming to the National
Museum, scientists of the future Will
have a far more complete bulk of eX-
act data on the Old American race, in
its present development, than on any
other human group. BY comparison
determine exactly just what evolu-
tionary changes have taken place in
hundreds and thousands of years
through interhreeding, changes in oc-
cuperation and changes in mode Of liv-
ing.
Much of the data also can be used
in framing immigration laws of the
future, since it shows just how the
Old American. which is expected to
pf
can race. compare with other white
peoples in important particulars.
Not Pure Nordic.
A primary classification which DR..
Hrdlicka makes is that of color. The
Old American, judged by this stand
ard. is not a Nordic. His ancestry
may have been British, but hardly
from the pure Nordic strain of Britons.
One-half the males and more than
four-tenths of the females have
medium brown hair. Only about l
in Is has truly blond hair. In one
fourth of the males and three-tenths
OF the females the hair is dark brown
or nearly black.
One-half of both males and females
have traces of brown in their eyes.
One-third of the males and one-fourth
of the females have light eyes.
Two-thirds of the males and three
fourths of the females have medium
skin. Only ) men and 50 womeS per
/, 200 have light skin. such az would
be associated with the scandinavian
races.
The hair of old Americans tends to
turn gray early-earlier in men than
in women. 1t is generally nearly
straight, not waVy.
Taller Than Others.
The average height is 174.23 cent?
meters for men and l6l.S4 centimeterS
for women, about feet. s inches and
) feet inches. The old Americans
are taller than the residents of the
United states at large and than any
of the larger groups of the white race
in Europe.
This. DR. Hrdlicka says, may be
due in some slight degree to chemical
elements in the American environ
ment, but is mainly to be explained
by better nourishment, more whole
some housing, more outdoor life ana
absence of child labor in the race.
Both men and women are light for
their weight. A fair average for the
males IS 6S.176 grams, very roughly
1860 pounds. The average for the
woman is 57.742 grams, slightly un-
der 124 pounds. The weight increases
with age up to the period Of senility,
brlt IT is less, on the average, for the
same weight and height than In other
residents of the United States,
nearly the same as in the English
and slightly less than in the Scotch.
Irish and some races of continental
Europeans. Thus the old American,
among world races. tends to be tall
and spare. as is chara ctarized In the
popular conception of Uncle Sam.
Have Large Heads.
The old American has short arms,
especially among the non -laboring
classes. The average for men Is
about 1926 centfmeters, (about Al
irches) for the men and 1916 cent?
meters (ahout SO inches). for the
women. This is we'll below the
medium for white people in general.
Both men and women have rela-
lively large heads. In shape these
generally are meso- -cephaliC. neither
markedly broad nor markedly long.
The Americans in head size are
superior to all the immigrant groups,
the Irish being the nearest in COM
parison.
THE cause" says DR.. Hrdlicka.
"is doubtless the higher educational
and cultural development of the old
Americans The Tennessee high
landers. old Americans, but cultur-
auy retarded and but poorly edu-
Gated. stand in head and brain size
on about the same level as the aver
age immigrant. There is little If
any probability that the older Amer
lean stock has already and inher-
emily larger head and brain, or
any of the white immigrants an in
lo mi