Advances in somatotype methodology and analysis

Abstract

Abstract During the past four decades, different approaches to somatotyping have resulted in changes in methods and analyses. The shift from a static or typological to a dynamic or phenotypical viewpoint is reviewed and different methods are summarized. Somatotype terminology and new concepts and techniques of analysis are presented as are details of two‐ and three‐dimensional analyses. Descriptive and comparative statistical procedures are demonstrated through use of distances between somatotypes as a whole. Somatopoints, somatoplots, somatotype dispersion and attitudinal distances, t and F ratios between somatotype samples, correlation, intensity, and migratory distance are described. Suggestions are also made for approaches to somatotype analysis.