Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T13:56:53.568Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Rate of Growth and Maturing of Twins*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Maciej Sklad*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Anthropology, Academy of Physical Education, Warsaw, Poland
*
Laboratory of Anthropology, Academy of Physical Education, ul. Marymoncka 34, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In the years 1966-1976, 50 pairs of Warsaw twins (27 MZ and 23 DZ) were subjected to longitudinal investigations. The twins were aged 9-11 years at the beginning of the observations, and 19-22 at their conclusion. The observations consisted of comprehensive somatic measurements and of the evaluation of biological maturity. The rate of growth of the twins, defined by the magnitude of yearly increments of body height, proved to be more concordant in MZ than DZ pairs. The appearance of the adolescent spurt occurred in the same year in 81 % of MZ and ca. 43% of DZ pairs. A very slight relationship was found between the rate of growth and final body height. The attaining of subsequent stages of sexual maturity in MZ twins was concordant in 88%, and in DZ twins in 30-39%, according to the respective stage. The body height curves were represented be means of three numerical parameters.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1977

Footnotes

*

The research was financed by the Section of Natural Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

References

REFERENCES

Garn, S.M. 1961. The genetics of normal human growth. In Gedda, L. (ed.): De Genetica Medica [Vol. 2, pp. 415434]. Roma: Edizioni Istituto Mendel.Google Scholar
Kadanoff, D., Tzatscheva, L., Jordanov, J., Kusmova, W. 1973. Anderung der Unterschiedswerte metrischem Merkmale zwischen den Zwillingspartnern bei longitudinaler Untersuchung. Z. Morphol. Anthropol., 65: 212.Google Scholar
Reynolds, El., Schoen, G. 1947. Growth patterns of identical triplets from 8 through 18 years. Child Dev., 18: 130.Google Scholar
Stenborg, G. 1938. Wachstum schwedischer Mädchen und ein neuer Konstitutionsindex. Lunds Universität Ärsskrift N.F. Ard. II. Gleerup, Lunds/Har-rassowitz, Leipzig.Google Scholar
Szczotka, F. 1971. Eine statistische Methode zur Untersuchung von zaitabhängigen Merkmalen. Biom. Z., 4: 280.Google Scholar
Tanner, J.M. 1963. Rozwoj w okresie pokwitania. PZWL Warszawa.Google Scholar
Vandenberg, S.G., Falkner, F. 1965. Hereditary factors in human growth. Hum. Biol., 37: 357.Google Scholar
von Verschuer, O. 1934. Die Erbbedingtheit des Körperwachstums. Z. Morphol. Anthropol., 34: 318.Google Scholar
Zeller, W. 1940. Wachstum und Reifung in Hinsicht auf Konstitution und Erbanlage. In: Herdbuch der Erbbiologie des Menschen. Berlin: Just G. Springer.Google Scholar