Body Build and Climatic Adaptation

The following table depicts the ratio of stature (cm) to weight (kg) for inhabitants of different parts of the world, and shows how it correlates with climate, starting out low (stocky build) in cooler environments and tending to get higher (gracile proportions) as temperatures increase. This works to better conserve heat in the cold, and throw it off in places with hot climates.

Population CAUCASOID Finland United States (Army) Iceland France England Sicily Morocco Scotland Tunisia Berbers Mahratta (India) Bengal (India) NEGROID Yambasa Kirdi Baya Batutsi Kikuyu Pygmies Efe Bushmen MONGOLOID Kazakh (Turkestan) Eskimo North China Korea Central China Japan Sundanese Annamites Hong Kong

Stature   171.0 173.9 173.6 172.5 166.3 169.1 168.9 170.4 173.4 169.8 163.8 165.8   169.0 166.5 163.0 176.0 164.5 142.2 143.8 155.8   163.1 161.2 168.0 161.1 163.0 160.9 159.8 158.7 166.2

Weight   70.0 70.2 68.1 67.0 64.5 65.0 63.8 61.8 62.3 59.5 55.7 52.7   62.0 57.3 53.9 57.0 51.9 39.9 39.8 40.4   69.7 62.9 61.0 55.5 54.7 53.0 51.9 51.3 52.2

Ratio   2.44 2.48 2.55 2.57 2.58 2.60 2.65 2.76 2.78 2.85 2.94 3.15   2.78 2.90 3.02 3.09 3.17 3.56 3.61 3.86   2.34 2.56 2.75 2.90 2.98 3.04 3.08 3.09 3.18

Paul T. Baker. "The Biological Adaptation of Man to Hot Deserts". The American Naturalist, 1958.