Stature, economy and migration during the 19th century : comparative analysis of Haute-Vienne and Hautes Alpes, France

International audienceData sources are achieved records of men workers' passbooks and registry for work permits in two rural<br />parts of Southern France. We obtained three samples: masons from Rancon, a Limousin village, local<br />sedentary alpine workers and Italian immigrants. The results obtained provide two types of information. The<br />first concerns adult height, which is thought to be a result of both a growth pattern and environmental factors.<br />The second concerns growth rates at the end of adolescence. The results seem to contradict the statements<br />made above concerning the relationships between misery, elevation and height. While the alpine inhabitants<br />are shorter, the Limousin inhabitants are taller in sprite they live in a miserable environment. It appears that<br />taller individuals select themselves into migration. Thus, this model would contradict the idea of a regional<br />genetic base