Friday, January 04, 2008
Denmark Vesey Word of The Day:
Steatopygia
(/stiˌætəˈpɪdʒiə/) is a high degree of fat accumulation in and around the buttocks. The deposit of fat is not confined to the gluteal regions, but extends to the outside and front of the thighs, forming a thick layer reaching sometimes to the knee.
This development constitutes a genetic characteristic of the Khoisan. It is specially a feature of the women, but it occurs in a lesser degree in the males (in most genetic variations of Homo sapiens, females tend to exhibit a greater propensity to adipose tissue accumulation in the buttock region as compared with males). It has also been noted among the Pygmies of Central Africa and the Onge-tribe of the Andaman Islands. Among the Khoisan, it is regarded as a sign of beauty: it begins in infancy and is fully developed by the time of the first pregnancy. It is often accompanied by the formation known as elongated labia (labia minora that may extend as much as 4 inches outside the vulva).
Steatopygia would seem to have been a characteristic of a population which once extended from the Gulf of Aden to the Cape of Good Hope, of which stock Khoisan and Pygmies are remnants. While the Khoisan afford the most noticeable examples of its development, it is by no means rare in other parts of Africa, and occurs even more frequently among Basters of the male sex than among Khoikhoi women. It is also observed among females of Andamanese Negritos.
What seems certain is that steatopygia in both sexes was fairly widespread among early human populations. 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 labia minora, has been used to support this theory[citation needed]. 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. ( I aint going to say no names Robyn)
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6 comments:
Ahhhhh! I love it. Who knew. "All this" has a name, and was once the subject of anthropological study.
(I had to look it up to make sure you werent BSing me. LOL.)
we call that "church lady" booty.
That is a common feature of the Baptist Deaconess and church "Mothers".
Can a trait like that move from an ethic group to a social group? Interesting.
And according to doctors, the extra fat in this area is not at all unhealthy.
-jasai
Robyn...I'm studying Steatopygia. Will you email me a pic to add to my research and further science?
01 05 08
Heheheh That is just like the Hottentot Venus. Geesh! And yes, I have seen this condition on many a church deaconess myself. We called it the table booty!
LOL Paul.
For the record, aint nothing church lady or table like about it!!!
LOL Jasai.
You could set your dinner and drink down on that booty!
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