Saturday 9 June 2012

Evolution: Human Height

Guiding Question: How do eighth graders vary in standing and sitting height?

Hypothesis: I think the females are naturally shorter than males also i think that based on a person’s age the height will vary.

Materials:
- measuring tape
- 8th graders
- chair

Variables: I will keep the people I’m measuring the same-all 8th grade students, but i will change the position they are in for example I will measure them standing and I will measure them sitting.


PersonStanding Height (cm)Sitting Height (cm)Skeletal Index Brachyskelia, Mesoskelia, Makroskelia

Emily166 cm80cm 48.19Brachyskelia
#Ergi 173 cm8850.86 Brachyskelia
Jovana184 cm 97 cm 52.71Mesoskelia
Eliza155 cm76 cm 49.03Brachyskelia
Abe171 cm89 52.04 Mesoskelia
Riena157 cm84 cm 53.50Macroskelia
Maria177 cm91 cm 51.41Mesoskelia
Luka L. 183 cm84 cm 45.90Brachyskelia
Luka J. 182 cm91 cm 50.00Brachyskelia
Caroline 157 cm82 cm 52.22Mesoskelia
Magda162 cm82 cm 50.61Brachyskelia
Cassie 167 cm82.549.40Brachyskelia
Dijana 165 cm87 cm 52.72Mesoskelia
Brin176 cm 84 cm 50Brachyskelia
Rafa170 cm85 cm 50Brachyskelia
Aleksej 177 cm87 cm 49.15Brachyskelia
Monica160 cm 81 cm 50.62Brachyskelia
Philipp180 cm91 cm 50.55Brachyskelia
Roy172 cm 86 cm 47.77Brachyskelia
Viktor190 cm94 cm 49.47Brachyskelia
Jude180 cm90 cm50Brachyskelia
David176 cm 87 cm 49.43Brachyskelia
Teodora172 cm 83 cm 48.25Brachyskelia
Jacob162 cm 82 cm 50.61Brachyskelia
Marko 179 cm86 cm 48.04Brachyskelia
Nikola 158 cm 80 cm 50.63Brachyskelia


Data Analysis: From looking at these results I found that the average female 8th graders skeletal index in our school is 50.78. From looking at the results of the males in 8th grade the average skeletal index for them is 49.63. Also by looking at my table I noticed that most people’s skeletal index is under the category of Brachyskelia meaning that their bottom half is longer than their torso. There were three people who are mesoskelia, and only one person, Riena, is macroskelia meaning that her bottom half/her legs are shorter than her torso. I also found the general height of the males and females in this grade. So for females the average height is, 165.63. Then for males the average height I found is 175.26. So males are on average taller.

Conclusion: From looking at my data I was able to conclude that girls have a larger skeletal idex that boys do in 8th grade. And then not unusually the boys average height is much taller than the girls the boys are on average taller by about 10 cm. I also find it very interesting that nearly everybody males and females are generally brachyskelia.

Further Inquiry: I think it would be interesting to measure the arm span of people to see if their arm span was proportional to their body. My estimation would be that the arm span would be shorter or the same length as the body.