Anatomy. — ''On Mendelian Segregation with the Heredity of 

 Headform in Man". By G. P. Frets. (Communicated by 

 Prof. C. Winkler.) 



(Communicated in the meeting of June 30, 1917). 



The significance of the shape of the head as an anthropological 

 characteristic was brought to light by the investigations of Anders 

 Retzius (1842 — 1860) '). Retzius introduced craniometry and based 

 the classification of races on the dimensions of the cranium. He 

 discriminates the brachycephalic or short and round, occasionally 

 square, and the dolichocephalic or long and oval skull type. 



With this method of investigation began a new^ period in anthro- 

 pology. The task was, to examine with various peoples and races 

 the index of the cranium i. e. the shape of the skull, expressed in 



100 X width 



the proportion — — , ; — . It was further inquired into — fixed values 



the length ^ , 



having been accepted for the dolichocephalic and the brachycephalic 



skull — how dolichocephaly and brachycephaly are spread over 



the various countries. 



For the experimental doctrine of heredity the significance of the 

 shape of the head is a different one, viz. its behaviour in heredity. 

 This question is not entirely strange in anthropology, but was eli- 

 minated there. A. Retzius e. g. points out that — in order to be sure 

 of having to do with the pure type, — one has to choose material 

 from the country, and when he disposes of a considerable collection 

 of skulls, e. g. Swedish ones, he selects by a first comparative ex- 

 amination, a few of those that do not show accidental or strange 

 properties. 



The experimental doctrine of heredity examines the heredity with 

 regard to its significance in connection with the problem of the 

 origin of species. Besides with regard to its practical significance 

 for man, as to the breeding of animals and the cultivation of plants, 

 and also with regard to diseases of man and the improvement of 

 race. This latter part of the science of heredity is distinguished as 

 eugenics. 



Only few investigations into the heredity of race-characteristics 



1) A. Retzius. Ethnologische Schriften. Stockholm 1864. 



