LAUSR

Measurement systems are important drivers of cultural and technological evolution. However, the evolution of measurement is still insufficiently understood. Many early standardized measurement systems evolved from body-based units of measure, such as the cubit and fathom, but researchers have rarely studied how or why body-based measurement has been used. We documented body-based units of measure in 186 cultures, illustrating how body-based measurement is an activity common to cultures around the world. Here, we describe the cultural and technological domains these units are used in. We argue that body-based units have had, and may still have, advantages over standardized systems, such as in the design of ergonomic technologies. This helps explain the persistence of body-based measurement centuries after the first standardized measurement systems emerged. Description Editor’s summary For as long as humans have produced things, there have been reasons to measure. Early measurements made use of what people had at hand—parts of their bodies—to create relatively standardized measurements. Kaaronen et al. looked at the development and use of body-based measurements across more than 180 cultures (see the Perspective by Chrisomalis) and found that such measures occur across cultures and commonly form the base of measurement systems. In many cultures, body-based measurements have been replaced by standardized measurement systems, but they persist and are sometimes superior to standard measurement, especially when the goal is to build something for use by a specific person. —Sacha Vignieri Measurements based on body part length have cognitive and behavioral advantages, which accounts for their widespread and persistent use.