Food, Atmosphere and Human bone structure, I have a hypothesis, In cold areas body consumes more food to?

Question

keep the body warm, as a result the people of cold areas have big bone structure and closely fabricated mussles. The other thing causing a big bone structure is food culture. Where most part of the food consists of meat and milk (and it also happens mostly in cold areas), people will have big bone structure. People in warmer areas get much heat from their atmosphere, so their bodies don't consume much food. If the area is rainy and not snowy vegetables will be available there easily and will be cheaper than meat and milk. As a result they will have a thin bone struture.

Please tell me if this hypothesis is true or not?

Answer 1

You are not alone in this hypothesis as many anthropologists point to the slimmer body of sub Saharn Africans & their hair as an ebvolutionary means of coping with the heat.  Those living in northern climates tend to evolve bodies to retain heat & keeping the brain cool doesn't present a problem as it does in warmer climates.

I think all the evidence tends to support this hypothesis.

Good thinking!

Answer 2

You are close to some well established theories known as Bergman's and Allen's rules.

Brief intros at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergmann's_...    

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen%27s_r...

Answer 3

Well, the real problem with it is the usage of the term "as a result". The bone structures of these people did not change because of their environment, it changed because of mutation which proved beneficial given the environment.

Answer 4

A counter to your argument is the Timucuan peoples of northern Florida who towered over the Spanish explorers.  Their diet consisted mainly of fish and shellfish, supplanted by corn, beans, squash and berries.  The need to be large to survive is what determines genetic tendancies.

Answer 5

Neither one of which explains your average Samoan. . . .

I don't buy it.

Answer 6

I would say that your hypothesis has the potential to be true. It would explain why the Vikings and Celts were known to be so strong. Their cold enviroments forced them to rely on diets of Meat, Fish and Dairy with not a whole lot of vegetables in their diet.

Answer 7

You are at least right in part.   If you go and live in Egypt you will lose 30 pounds without even trying because of the heat.  And you will eat less because of the heat just like you said.   You observed that large people have large bones and small people have small bones.    Wouldn't a simpler explanation be that heavy people have large bones because the body needs to build larger bones to support the extra weight.

Notice what happens to people in space.   They lose bone mass.   And gain it back when they have regained their weight on earth.

Rats eat anything.   Buy some rats and test out your hypothesis.   And you will be on your way to becoming a scientist.   People who stop at hypothesis are called philosophers.

Answer 8

Since its your hypothesis you have to prove by research whether its true or not.Not me.

Answer 9

Sort of. People in colder climates have a more robust bone structures because it helps conserve body heat. People in warmer climates tend to have a more gracile body structure.  However, this has less to do with diet and more to do with genetics and adaptation to the environment.

So, your hypothesis is close, but groups of people developed their body types over thousands of years as a response to their environment, not their diet. Diet will affect an individuals body type, but will not alter genetics.

Answer 10

You are on the right track and have a well thought out hypothesis.  However, you don't have the complete picture.  With more research you should be able to sufficiently test your hypothesis.