INPLUENCKS OK KNVIHONMENT 129 



as to the al)Sohito ofTcct of oiiviroinm'iit, and until we have 

 made more comprehensive investigations it is best to 

 leave the matter oi)en. 



A study of the direcl infinence of environment upon 

 the bodily form of man was made in 1908 and 1909 by 

 Professor Boas.^- Fonr groups of people w^ere investi- 

 gated; the south Italians, representing the Mediterra- 

 nean type of Europe, characterized by short stature, 

 elongated head, <h^rk complexion and hair; the central 

 Euro]K'an type, characterized by medium stature, short 

 head, liglit hair and lighter comi)1exion; the northwest 

 Euroi^ean tyi^e, characterized by tall stature, elongated 

 licnd, liglil ('omi)lexion, and blond hair; and in a<ldition, 

 an extended series of east Euro])ean Hebrews, who re- 

 semble in some respects the central European group. 

 The traits selected for examination were bead measure- 

 ment, stature, weight, and hair-color. The result of the 

 inquiry was to show that the American-born descendants 

 of these types differ from their parents ; and that these 

 differences develop in early childhood and persist 

 throughout life. It was found that head form, which 

 has always been considered as one of the most stable and 

 ])ermanent characteristics of human races, undergoes 

 far-reaching changes due to the transfer of the races of 

 I^]urope to American soil. »The east European Hebrew, 

 who has a very round head, becomes more long-headed 

 in the first generation born in America ; the south Italian, 

 who in Italy has an exceedingly long head, becomes 

 more short-headed in the first generation born in Amer. 

 ica ; so that both approach a uniform type in this country, 



i- Changes in Bodily Form of the Descendants of Immigrants, The Im- 

 migration Commi.if>ion, 61st. Cong., 2d Session, Doc. no. 208; seo also 

 The Mind of Primitive Man, ch. ii, for discussion. 



