For bioarchaeological studies, a common approach to estimating stature is via regression formulae that are based on the scaling of skeletal elements relative to overall height. Both stature and the proportions of contributing elements may be affected by biocultural and ecological factors, and thus, it is generally preferable to apply population-specific formulae when possible. Within bioarchaeology, the establishment of population-specific regression formulae is complicated by the need to base formulae on a sufficiently large number of individuals for which all skeletal elements contributing to stature can be measured. Yet disciplinary conventions within bioarchaeology suggest the need for sample sizes that are larger than typical within related fields, and it is thus possible that disciplinary status quo has led to a systematic bias in the literature toward larger sites, regions with relatively good preservation, and populations associated with these aspects. To investigate the efficacy of combined-sex stature regression formulae based on relatively small samples, this study calculated population-specific formulae based on long bone length for 22 individuals from a late medieval Old Prussian cemetery at Bezławki, Poland. The relationship between stature and each of the predictor elements/measurements considered was strong, particularly for maximum femoral length (r = 0.976). For the latter measurement, a sample size as small as 18 produced accurate and precise stature estimates. Further, the Bezławki-specific formula based on maximum femoral length provided estimates of the stature that performed better than or similar to formulae based on larger populations, supporting that population-specific formulae may be warranted, even when based on small samples.

中文翻译：

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生物考古学中的样本量和代表性偏差：中世纪普鲁士身高估计的案例研究

对于生物考古研究，估计身高的常用方法是通过回归公式，该公式基于骨骼元素相对于整体高度的比例。身高和贡献元素的比例都可能受到生物文化和生态因素的影响，因此，如果可能，通常最好应用特定人群的公式。在生物考古学中，由于需要将公式建立在足够多的个体上，从而可以测量影响身高的所有骨骼元素，因此建立特定于人群的回归公式变得复杂。然而，生物考古学中的学科惯例表明，需要比相关领域内的典型样本量更大的样本量，因此，学科现状可能导致文献中系统性地偏向较大的遗址、保存相对较好的地区以及与这些方面相关的人群。为了研究基于相对较小样本的性别联合身高回归公式的有效性，本研究根据来自波兰 Bezławki 的中世纪晚期古普鲁士公墓的 22 个人的长骨长度计算了特定人群的公式。身高与所考虑的每个预测因素/测量值之间的关系很强，特别是对于最大股骨长度（这项研究根据来自波兰 Bezławki 的中世纪晚期古普鲁士公墓的 22 个人的长骨长度计算了特定人群的公式。身高与所考虑的每个预测因素/测量值之间的关系很强，特别是对于最大股骨长度（这项研究根据来自波兰 Bezławki 的中世纪晚期古普鲁士公墓的 22 个人的长骨长度计算了特定人群的公式。身高与所考虑的每个预测因素/测量值之间的关系很强，特别是对于最大股骨长度（r  = 0.976）。对于后一种测量，小至 18 的样本量产生了准确和精确的身高估计值。此外，基于最大股骨长度的 Bezławki 特定公式提供的身高估计值优于或类似于基于较大人群的公式，支持特定人群的公式可能是必要的，即使基于小样本。