Cranial Samples of Modern Small-Headed Populations of the Equatorial Old World

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2023-4/316-330

Abstract

The authors studied 15 published mean sample data (only male samples) on the equatorial Old World populations, which are characterized by small crania with the total growth value no more than 261,0 except for the Aeta sample, which probably has some Tagal admixture. The studied samples represented the following groups: Pygmies (3 samples), Bantu agriculturalists (2 samples), Papuans of New Guinea (4 samples), Melanesians (2 samples), Andamans (2 samples), Aeta (2 samples). The analysis included three Martin’s cranial measurements (1, 8, 17) and three indices (1/8, 17/8, 17/1) as well as four variables designed by one of the authors. Only the shape parameters of the cranium were used to calculate the dendrogram of the taxonomic differences of these cranial samples. The dendrogram identified two clusters. The first one included all the African samples and Papuans, the second one – Andamans, Aeta and Melanesians. The samples of the first cluster correspond to the Tropid craniotype can be called Microtropids. Samples of the second cluster resemble the Sundid craniotype can be called Microsundids. These two craniotypes differ greatly in the shape of the cranium and have different origins; they are only similar in the small size of the skull.