Biometric Highlights

by Brady Hecker and Bodie Lohr

Massanutten Regional Governor’s School Juniors completed the annual Biometrics: Trackways and Evolutions project in October, a joint assignment between Environmental Science and Statistics. Biometrics are the physical or biological measurements that define a person. In this investigation, MRGS Juniors were tasked with reconstructing a scaled drawing of an extinct tetrapod (Eubrontes giganteus or Australopithecus afarensis) with only measurements from that tetrapod's footprints and the biometric data that they collected such as their height, leg length, cranial capacity, etc.

On October 16th, students went on a field trip to Elizabeth Furnace Recreational Area, which was a very fun experience.

While we were there, students obtained a majority of their biometric measurements using tape measures and calipers.

We wrote down all the data and then inputted it into a spreadsheet once we returned to school.

he next stage was working on the statistical proportion. In class, students began organizing data and creating univariate boxplots and histograms using Minitab (Statistical Software). Once the univariate graphs were completed, the students moved on to bivariate graphs, which show the correlation between two biometric variables.

Each graph had to be expanded upon to properly display the findings and the conclusions drawn from the graph. From the bivariate graphs, Minitab allowed us to create predictor equations. Using the predictor equations, we were able to plug in a measurement from the Eubrontes giganteus. One example: to find the Hand Length for the Eubrontes giganteus, we plugged in the measured foot length into the equation Hand Length= 0.0209 + 0.633 Foot Length.  This allowed us to get a measurement of 0.097 m for the Eubrontes giganteus. This step was repeated for the various biometrics and allowed us to create a model of what the Eubrontes giganteus would have looked like. Students then compiled all graphs, tables, evaluations, and final sketch into a Google document where they organized all information into an easy-to-read and understandable format. 

From a student's perspective, we found this project to be a long drawn-out process that was extremely rewarding at the end. When the project was initially introduced, a look of terror befell upon most of the room. We all felt overwhelmed, but with the guidance of Mrs. Klus and Mr. Kohrs and the reassurance of classmates via numerous Facetime and group chat messages, every student was able to successfully submit the final product! When reflecting on the project, Asher Ryan described it as “A very successful project that was honestly quite interactive and fun!” Molly Walsh claimed that “It felt like a real project,” and this is definitely true. When working on a large project like this, students were able to immerse themselves in the real world of scientific research and feel like they were real researchers, and in essence, that is what Gov. School is all about: exposing students to the real world of research to prepare them for the outside world.