Introduction Dorsal hand vein pattern represents a unique morphological feature of the human body which may serve as a biometric tool for forensic identification. Study Aim The primary aim of this study was to determine the frequency and distribution of dorsal hand vein patterns in a Slovak adult population, with respect to sex and laterality of the hand. Material and Methods This study provides a morphological analysis of dorsal hand vein patterns in a sample of 70 healthy adults from the Slovak population. Vein configurations were classified using the 1951 system developed by Suchý, distinguishing four main types: branched, double-branched, simple, and composite. Results The most frequent patterns were branched and double-branched, while the composite form was rare. No statistically significant differences were found between sexes or between hands, suggesting a high degree of bilateral and intersexual symmetry. A rare morphological subtype, labelled 2N4, appeared exclusively in females on the left hand, potentially reflecting sex-linked vascular variation. Conclusion The results support the hypothesis that dorsal venous architecture is largely determined by early developmental and genetic factors. Given the pattern stability and inter-individual variability, dorsal hand veins remain a promising biometric marker. Despite limitations related to imprinting technique and assessment subjectivity, the study offers a valuable anatomical reference for future biometric, forensic, or anthropological research.

In paediatric practice, growth references are used by doctors and nurses to evaluate a child’s growth status. We present an assessment of the internal consistency of two Polish references in detecting short stature and obesity in children and adolescents. Key diagnostic thresholds, the 3rd percentile for height and the 95th for Body Mass Index (BMI), were selected for comparison. Percentiles were calculated for hypothetical heights 0.2 cm lower than the third percentile of specific references and 0.1 units lower than the 95th percentile of specific references, in the case of height and BMI references, respectively. The z-scores were calculated and converted to percentiles. MS Excel was used. Around the 3rd percentile of height and the 95th percentile of BMI, there is a discrepancy in the Warsaw growth reference for measured height and BMI, respectively, and the calculated percentile. In the case of the Polish 2010 and 2012 growth references, a hypothetical height 0.2 cm below the third percentile of height-for-age reference yielded percentiles below 3 for all ages in both sexes. The Polish 2010 and 2012 growth references for measurements 0.1 units below the obesity threshold yielded percentiles of 94.69–94.86 in boys and girls. The Polish 2010 and 2012 growth references provide consistent and coherent calculation results for the 3rd percentile of height and the 95th percentile of BMI for children and adolescents aged 3–18 years.

Modern humans are unique among anthropoids in many key features, including our advanced intelligence, large brain-body size, thermal tolerance, and endurance capability. The objective of this theoretical review is to update the theory of Previc (1999) postulating the importance of dopamine in human evolution by synthesizing newer findings concerning dopamine’s role in human intellectual and endurance capabilities. Recent evidence further supports the putative role of dopamine in advanced human intelligence (especially cognitive flexibility) and thermal tolerance and endurance. One key breakthrough is a collection of recent studies demonstrating a uniquely human dopaminergic innervation of the striatum and prefrontal cortex—both essential to human cognition. Another potentially important finding is the human-specific mutation of an enhancer to the EN1 gene that controls eccrine gland formation and plays a major role in the development of dopaminergic brain systems. A plausible evolutionary scenario is put forth in which the enhanced thermal capabilities linked to dopaminergic evolution may have gradually led to the enhanced intellects of modern humans.

Prosocial co-operation is critical for evolution and survival on Earth and has crucially shaped the development of Homo sapiens. Inter-brain neural synchronization (IBNS) has been shown to enhance prosocial co-operation in mammals and avians. The selection pressures which led to the development of IBNS throughout primate evolution are currently unknown. This paper aims to expand the understanding of IBNS in non-human primates by reviewing the literature on various primate populations that display prosocial behaviors that could correlate with IBNS. Binary logit modelling using machine learning methods was applied to social, ecological, morphological, and biological (SEMB) variables correlated with prosocial behaviors to obtain probabilities of prosociality. Our results suggest that select SEMB variables such as daily socialisation, food-sharing and hierarchy structure are strong predictors of prosocial behaviors in primates. We provide a framework that offers testable hypotheses for the existence of IBNS in primates based on the correlations between SEMB variables and prosocial behaviors. We also offer ideas of the ecological/behavioral forces that may correlate with neural activation patterns of primate IBNS. Through comparison to Homo sapiens models, these findings suggest IBNS in primates may exist beyond cercopithecids and may be evoked by similar socio-ecological contexts. However, some key neurological distinctions between the two groups exist, influencing which distinct patterns of behavior may evoke IBNS (relative to their socio-ecological context).

This study investigates the relationships between the COVID-19 pandemic, lifestyle factors, and their impact on blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate in young adult women from Slovakia. We assessed 552 adult women aged 18 to 30 years who were categorized into subgroups based on their pandemic status. The individual’s lifestyle was evaluated using a detailed questionnaire. BP and pulse rate were measured in the sitting position using a digital sphygmomanometer. Linear regression analysis tested the associations. The results showed no significant difference in physical activity and the proportion of fat mass (%) before and during the pandemic. Smoking prevalence increased during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels (p = 0.152). While there were no significant differences in coffee consumption, the use of hormonal contraceptives was significantly higher during the pandemic (p = 0.021). In addition, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse rate were significantly higher during the pandemic than before, indicating possible cardiovascular effects (SBP with p < 0.001 and pulse rate with p = 0.001). Regression analysis revealed that pandemic and fat mass (%) were significant predictors of SBP, while only physical activity and fat mass (%) were predictors of diastolic blood pressure (DBP). In addition, pandemic and physical activity were significant predictors of pulse rate. We observed significantly higher SBP and pulse rates during the pandemic than before in young adult women. Further studies are needed to investigate the long-term effects of the pandemic on SBP and pulse rate.

Dental calculus is a creamish-yellow to brownish-black hard crust deposited on teeth, having the dietary micro-remains, biomolecules, oral microbes and the secretions preserved in it over a long period of time. It has served as a valuable source material for research in diverse scientific disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology, microbiology and forensic sciences. The host and microbial DNA extracted and sequenced from dental calculus deposits (DCD) have helped to establish the identity of unknown individuals, and also the use of certain drugs, tobacco products by the individuals of the past as well as contemporary human populations. The entrapped cellular as well as tissue fragments in calculus can help in identification, reconstruction of dietary habits, food practices, manner of death/pathologies the geographical and occupational affinity of ancient human remains. Calculus deposits gleaned from the archaeological or paleontological specimens can be used to assess the shifts in oral microbiota compositions and host-pathogen co-evolution as researchers have found calculus as rich source of oral microbiomes, pathogens, dietary biomolecules, and host DNA. Advancing dental calculus research through validation studies, technological innovations, interdisciplinary collaborations, longitudinal research, and ethical considerations holds promise for its robust forensic anthropological utilizations. The current status of anthropological, archaeological and microbial research involving dental calculus deposits, future challenges, and its forensic anthropological significance are presented in this review article.

Human biology research in the 21st century takes on a whole new meaning with an improved range of methodological, ethical, and technological advancements. Human biologists working in diverse sub- and inter-disciplinary areas now have at their disposal access to more efficient technical toolkits than ever before, producing data that can be rapidly shared through open access platforms. However, we also face challenges with the ever-increasing presence of artificial intelligence (AI), and continued ethical concerns around ‘helicopter research’ using human personal and tissue data in developing countries. Anthropological Review (AR), the flagship journal of the Polish Anthropological Society (PTA), is an open access journal with a long history of publishing inter-disciplinary human biology research and continued commitment to sharing high quality findings. In this piece, as PTA is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025, and as the editorial board of AR with a new Editor-in-Chief, and the President of PTA, we outline the stance of AR on key issues in today’s human biology research. We focus on open access, early career researcher opportunities, AI, the need for multi-methodological approaches and inter-disciplinarity, and commitment to the application of ethical framework in human biology research featured in our journal.

The physical development of the human body is used as an objective indicator of the health status and work capability of the population. Height and weight are the main anthropometric traits which vary and change significantly during the growth period and are used as a base for the development of anthropometric standards at different ages. The aim of this study is to assess the basic anthropometric traits in adolescent boys and girls in Bulgaria in order to establish age- and sex-specific variation in growth. During the period 2016–2018, a transversal anthropometric study in five secondary schools in Sofia, Bulgaria was conducted. A total of 424 adolescents (211 boys and 213 girls) aged 9 to 14 years were studied. Anthropometric measurements were performed according to the classic 1957 methodology of Martin-Saller. Statistically significant sex differences (p<0.05) were indicated for height and weight in the age periods: 10–11 years, with priority for girls and 13–14 years, with priority for boys. Age-related differences (p<0.001) in the age period 9–14 years were also observed. Physical development of adolescent Bulgarian students follows the general trends of the postnatal ontogenesis, reflected in increasing the sizes of anthropometric features highlighted in 10–11-year-olds girls and 13–14-year-olds boys. These new data for height, weight, and BMI in 9–14-year-old Bulgarian students might be a practical addition in the pediatric practice of monitoring of children’s health.

Generation Z, unlike any generation before them, lives in an era of rapid and global technological change, where most activities take place online. This lifestyle has significant implications for the well-being and health of internet users. The question is whether the contemporary socio-economic status (SES) and biological profile of Generation Z ‘immersed’ in new technologies is a universal phenomenon, independent of the country of residence. This study sets out to identify similarities and differences in the socio-economic and biological characteristics of Generation Z students from three European Union countries. Data were collected directly in France, Slovakia, and Poland. We used a survey questionnaire and non-invasive anthropometric measurements in Generation Z respondents (n=157). Our results show that there is a significant relationship between country of residence and three SES indicators: income, self-rated financial situation and time spent online, as well as three biological measures: body mass index (BMI), relative fat mass (RFM) and waist circumference (WC). Country of residence only partly explains the similarities and differences in the socio-economic status and biological characteristics of Generation Z students. In terms of SES, the participants’ profile is significantly influenced by financial situation, i.e. the student’s monthly disposable income and self-assessed financial situation, as well as time spent online. In turn, for biological factors, the significant measures are: BMI, RFM and WC.

A reduction in the estrogen and progesterone levels during midlife leads to adverse changes in body fat distribution, insulin and lipid metabolism, and endothelial dysfunction; all of these increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, scholars are not unanimous on whether menopause enhances the CVD risk, independent of the normal process of aging and other confounding factors. Despite the cardio-protective effect of endogenous estrogen during their premenopausal years, the increased life expectancy of women exposes them to a greater lifetime risk of CVD compared to men. The aim of the present study was to understand the cardiovascular risk factors associated with different stages of menopause. This study was cross-sectional in nature and was carried out in the Howrah district of West Bengal, India. Two hundred and one participants were recruited for the study (Premenopausal 71, Perimenopausal 61, and Postmenopausal 69). Data on body fat distribution, blood glucose levels, and total cholesterol, blood pressure, and socio-demographic, menstrual and reproductive history, and lifestyle characteristics were obtained following standard protocols. Multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to understand how menopausal status impacted CVD risk factors after controlling the effects of the confounders. Menopausal status significantly predicted the CVD risk factors and body fat measures after removing the effects of the confounding variables, reinforcing the role of estrogen in the development of CVD. An overwhelming majority of the participants in our study have central obesity; so, this group is more prone to developing CVD in the near future. Future cross-cultural studies are required to understand how the link between menopause and CVD varies across different cultural groups and throughout the menopausal transition.