Talk:Steatopygia

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First Lady?

I found this page because this condition was referenced in relation to Michelle Obama elsewhere. Is there a credible tie-in? The description certainly seems to match her figure, though I'm entirely unfamiliar with her geographical heritage and whether it ties most closely with the regions and tribes described in the article. Perhaps someone more qualified on this topic could consider if a reference to the First Lady is appropriate for inclusion? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.250.187.244 (talk) 17:47, 6 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Correction needed?

I suspect someone hacked this to add the bit about "being caused by blowing up" but I know utterly nothing about the subject, so I don't want to mess with the page in case it is some sort of technical term, however unlikely. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.50.172.47 (talk) 21:23, 13 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

what are these "nymphae"?

The discovery in the caves of the south of France of figures in ivory presenting a remarkable development of the thighs, and even the peculiar prolongation of the nymphae, has been used to support this theory.

Mang 23:27, 11 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

HAVE IT REMOVED!!! JESUS CHRIST —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.133.126.134 (talk) 21:23, 22 September 2007 (UTC)[reply]

What seems certain

What seems certain is that steatopygia in both sexes was fairly widespread among the early races of man.

I feel like I've stumbled onto some largely unreviewed backwater (sorry) article from the hoary past. Isn't this a good example of the assumption that "bad characteristics" must have been arisen in our unevolved past, may still be found as curious examples in unevolved races, and aren't we glad 'we' aren't bums like 'them'?

In any case, can we find some justication for the above statement? It just seems spurious and unsupportable. Shenme 07:00, 19 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Yeah, it's not like it would be preserved in any fossil evidence. Did some "cave-man" draw pictures of big-assed women on his wall?

I am sure that someone will point to the various figurines called Venuses as 'evidence'. The famous Venus of Willendorf is the 'type' for many people, I think. The counter is that these most likely are exaggerations created as abstract symbols of female fertility. And to anybody who objects to that characterization, I'd offer the cover pictures of modern women's magazines, which feature abstractions propitious only for male fertility, and equally unlikely to serve as an accurate 'type' for modern women. Shenme 04:04, 22 Jun 2005 (UTC)

It's not the article's identification of steatopygia as being common in early humans that is racist, it's your assumption that it's a bad characteristic. --86.135.87.145 13:46, 4 October 2005 (UTC)[reply]

No matter whether this is evidence or not, the article currently has this statement "even the peculiar prolongation of the labia minora, has been used to support this theory" but there is no link whatsoever. If wikipedia is to remain neutral, such citations should be mentioned, or this part should simply be removed (until someone adds a link) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.108.103.172 (talk) 06:45, 18 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Removed edited picture

I have removed the link to Image:Steatopygia.jpg because the image there currently is some kind of extreme caricature which looks like someone has played about with an original from http://deadbarnacle.afraid.org/blog/0041.html . Telsa 12:55, 12 August 2005 (UTC)[reply]

The Panglossian Paradigm on the march

The whole discussion of how steatopygia are "adaptive" to a hot, arid climate borders on the silly. The author makes the common mistake of assuming that if a trait is used for a particular purpose, selective pressure must have developed the structure for that purpose. That isn't necessarily true, as Stephen Jay Gould pointed out in his landmark paper "The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm." Would-be evolutionary biologists are strongly encouraged to read the paper before announcing that a particular trait is "adaptive" for a particular purpose.

I do not deny the accuracy of any of the statements about the advantage of concentrating fat in a particular location. All of that may well be true. But there is nothing to support the assertion that steatopygia were evolved for some sort of thermal purpose, other than the fact that there is an advantage to having a steatopygia in certain climates. They could have developed for any number of equally plausible reasons, or no reason at all. Evolution does not always produce optimal structures. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.16.4.254 (talk • contribs)

Which Type of Tissue?

The german version of this article (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steatopygie) claims that steatopygia consists of muscle tissue, not fat. Is there a reference for the type of tissue involved? 129.27.236.118 19:41, 17 June 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Is it possible to explain why there was a genetic need to develop this trait now known as Steatopygia; some type of genetic adaptation? If so, for what purpose? Water, nutrients, etc.? …Kellogg76 (talk) 17:46, 26 October 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Conflicting statement?

This article contains the following quote:

"However, the type of Neolithic Venus figurines sometimes referred to as "steatopygian Venus" do not strictly qualify as steatopygian, since they exhibit an angle of approximately 120 degrees between the back and the buttocks, while steatopygia strictly speaking is diagnosed at an angle of about 90 degrees only."

Yet, the two pictures provided show women whose so-called back-to-buttock angle is clearly 120 degrees, not 90. And how could anyone possibly have a 90 degree profusion of fat, especially as they mature, without regular skin stapling or something ridiculous? I imagine the quoted author's assertion is in error... 132.198.12.94 (talk) 17:10, 28 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Aditional Picture

On most versions of this article in a different language, there is another picture. Can we add this? http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rasvapakara.jpg Superjustinbros. (talk) 22:39, 23 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]

Evolutionary hypotheses

I moved the complete chapter "Evolutionary hypotheses" here. All three sentences are ridiculous. Maybe they correlate to some useful hypothesis, but then the description is grotesquely insufficient:

Steatopygia is believed to be an adaptive physiological feature for female humans living in hot environments, as it maximizes their bodies' surface-area/volume ratio but keeps enough fat to produce hormones needed for menstruation.

With fat deposited heavily in only certain areas in the middle on the trunk of the body, the limbs are left slim enough to expel heat more efficiently.

Another suggestion is that being able to store large fat amounts is important in very seasonal environments like those in African savanna, where during the dry season, a food shortage ensues, and people live largely off of their stored fat.^{[citation needed]}

-- Tomdo08 (talk) 15:43, 29 August 2011 (UTC)[reply]

they seem like good theories to me, i think they should be in the article. if you want to explain why africans get a big butt while europeans get a big belly than climate-differences are a logical thing to look at. it is already well accepted that heat-loss is probably the reason black people tend to be long and slim, while eskimo's are short and fat Selena1981 (talk) 09:15, 4 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]

"diagnosed" ?

while steatopygia is diagnosed at an angle of about 90 degrees only

... the word "diagnosed" is used here, but there's no mention of steatopygia being a disease or harmful medical condition. Is the better word choice "identified"? Or is this a harmful condition? Is it harmful to be so hot? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ericaricardo (talk • contribs) 22:07, 1 January 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Pseudo-science

The background to the story is that porn was forbidden. But men still had a need to talk about big beautiful buttocks. So you will find women with big buttocks in a foreign nation, far far away. That is all women with Steatopygia i Denmark, at least two in Roskilde.Jesper7 (talk) 07:54, 4 June 2013 (UTC)[reply]

If people have is the fusion of the vertebrae, then end the buttocks bristled.Jesper7 (talk) 14:21, 3 July 2013 (UTC)[reply]

see hyperlordosis and Lordosis.

Venus of Willendorf

Why is the venus of willendorf included? she clearly doesn't have Steatopygia, her ass is flat, she just happens to be extremely overweight.

Bumblebritches57 (talk) 20:01, 29 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]