332 STATISTICAL STUDY OF INHERITANCE 



remain whether the theory of the segregation of pure gametes 

 be confirmed or not. In other cases, however, the Galtonian for- 

 mulation seems the only one applicable, and here the need is to 

 work out — perhaps along the lines of Weismann's germinal 

 selection of determinants — a conceivable physiological inter- 

 pretation. 



We must refer the reader to Mr. Yule's discussion (1902) 

 of the supposed antagonism between Mendelian and Galtonian 

 conceptions — a discussion which leads this expert to conclude 

 " that Mendel's Laws and the Law of Ancestral Heredity are 

 not necessarily contradictory statements, one or other of which 

 must be mythical in character, but are perfectly consistent 

 the one with the other, and may quite well form parts of one 

 homogeneous theory of heredity." 



§ 7. Illustration of Results readied by Statistical Study 



While we can neither explain the methods nor summarise the 

 arguments, it may be permissible to cite some of the results 

 reached by the statistical study of inheritance, always bearing 

 in mind the caution that the validity of a statistical result, like 

 the validity of any other scientific result, depends on the value 

 of the data. The world of organisms is very large and hetero- 

 geneous, and results that hold good for certain forms of life may 

 not be true of others. 



It has been shown statistically that in the human race the 

 father is prepotent in the matter of stature, and this for offspring 

 of both sexes (Pearson). 



It has been shown statistically that a subtle quality like 

 fertility is a heritable quality, and more detailed statements 

 can be made — e.g. that the woman inherits fertility equally 

 through the male and female lines. 



The immediate practical bearing of some of these researches 



