Evening star., 1939-08-15
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
By Thomas r. Henri.


The adage that dead men tell no
tales" long since has been disproved and
libraries are filled with the tales their
dried and broken bones have told.
The ways they can be made to talk,
however, constitute complex science,
based on patient studies extending over
the past three generations and now in it's
full flower. 1t used to be said of the
French anatomist Cuvier that out of
single bone he could reconstruct whole
animal. This was certainly an exaggera-
tion in Cuviers day but it sometimes
seems that now the physical anthropolo-
gists are approaching skill that enables
them out of a single bone to reconstruct
whole man. Not only that, but they can
sometimes reconstruct good part of the
mans life story-the sicknesses he had
and when he had them, the kind of food
he ate, etc.
The science is based on the changes
that take place in bones in the living
body with advancing age and the size
and shape relationships between one
bone and another. 1t involves many
obscure details the Interpretation of
which requires an extremely skilled spe-
cialist. One of the leaders in this field in
America is Prof. Wilton M. Krogman of
the University of Chicago who described
some of the technique of his work to the
Washington Academy of Sciences few
nights ago.
Perhaps the greatest mass of detail has
been accumulated on skeletal changes
with age, very important consideration
in interpreting the story of the bones.
With children this is relatively easy. Age
can almost always be told within a couple
of years by the degree to which the bones
have united. The progress can be de-
tected even up to the 2lst year.
Determing the age of an adult skeleton
is more difficult. and has been possible
only in recent years with the accumula-
ton of great body of details
The young adult skull" said DR.
Krogman, lis not one solid bone. There
dlE bOliCo, W NC ChdSl 1llcSC dlC
separated by lines known as sutures,
three of which are on the top of the
head. These three sutures begin to dis
appear-that is, the bones begin to
unite-in a definite order and at a def
mite age. One starts at % years, one at
"a. and one at 26. They are completely
joined together in the same order, at
35, Al, and At years. During this 25year
process the degree of union, from be-
ginning to complete closure, can be es-
timated within several years.
The right and left pelvic bones are
separated in the midlines in front by
cartilage which slowly, from 10 years on
ward. changes to bone. A study Of this
process gives another estimate of age. Up
until the 30th year the estimate can
be made within plus or minus a year.
Between 80 and 40 the estimate is within
plus or minus two years. Between 40
and so it is within plus or minus three
years. After 60 it is within plus or minus
five years.
After the 3oth year the bones Of
skeleton begin to change texture. The
fiat bones, such as the scapula or shoulder
blade begin to lose their blood supply. AS
a result they become dry and brittle and
begin to warp and shrink. The long
bones begin to develope roughened areas
at their ends, which closely resemble the
bone changes in rheumatism or arthritis.
For all these reasons the skeleton is
dead giveaway of a persons birthday"
The reconstruction of build and weight,
DR.. Krogman said. is made possible by
the fact that the dimensions across the
pelvis and stature go together with
general body type and weight. Stature
can be calculated from the thigh bone.
When ancient bones are studied, DR..
Krogman said, they give some evidence
that the human race actually Is growing
taller, although some doubt is thrown
upon this conclusion by the fact that the
material available for study probably
came from highly selected groups
Neanderthal man of 100, 900 years ago
was only five feet and four inches in
heighth, while Cro-Magnon man, who
succeeded him $4,000 years ago, was al
most six feet tall. But an adverse en-
virOnment moved in and IN relatively
short time he averaged five feet and
seven inches.
Said DR.. Krogman: eve may see this
same thing today in the misery spots OF
the world-warped, stunted growth due
to inadequate nutrition In India the
high-caste Rajputs are among the tallest
people in the world. Their racial blood
brothers, the low-caste Chuhras, are
among the shortest. The one is well
nourished and the other is underfed.
eve are told by anthropologists that
stature is bodily mirror of we'll being.
The genetically successful race mixture
among the Pitcairn Islanders produced
type taller than either its white or Poly
nesian forebears Today, because of
better food and housing, the young
American generation is taller than the
parent and the parent taller than the
grandparent. 1t is probable, therefore,
that in the long run judicious breeding
plus an adequate environment will pro-
duce taller race. The chances are, how
ever, that an average heighth of six feet
4. about Tho cnociec limit "