A statistical evaluation of the basis for predicting stature from lengths of long bones in European populations

The differences between the variance structures of the bivariate pairs (height, length of the femur) and (height, length of the tibia) are insignificant when estimated from male and female samples of European derived populations, thus the regression lines for the predictions of height are parallel. The variance of height in samples of predicted heights is discussed and the consequences for the statistical analysis of average heights are indicated.