Parent-adult offspring correlations and heritability of body measurements in a rural Indian population

Abstract

Mean values and standard deviations of height, sitting height, body weight, biacromial and bicristal diameters, total arm length, upper arm and calf girths and skinfolds at biceps, triceps, below the scapula and at the widest portion of the calf of 67 fathers, 72 mothers and their 99 adult sons and 83 adult daughters belonging to Lewa Patels of rural Gujarat are presented. Sons and daughters showed significantly higher mean values of stature as compared to fathers and mothers respectively. Parent-offspring, sib-sib and midparent-offspring correlations for these measurements are also presented. Parent-offspring and midparent-offspring correlations varied for different body measurements; highest correlations were shown by longitudinal measurements, followed by transverse diameters and least by skinfold and girth measurements. Heritability of different body measurements as indicated by midparent-offspring regression also followed a similar pattern of variation. Using the recollection method, mean age at menarche of daughters was 14.7 +/- 0.16 years and that of their mothers 15.20 +/- 0.15 years. Mother-daughter correlation for age at menarche was 0.39.