现代中国人颅骨测量特征及其地区性差异的初步研究

STUDY OF METRIC TRAITS AND GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS OF MODERN CHINESE SKULLS

The object of this study is to explore the characteristics of modern Chinese skulls and its variations among different geographical regions and nationalities. The materials used in this study include the metric data of 19 groups of modern Chinese male skulls ranging from northeastern Changchun to southern Hainan island. The measurements taken in this study are 16. Three statistical techniques used to deal with the data are: means comparisons, indices comparisons and cluster analysis. The results are as follows: 1. Means comparisons show that the skulls of north Chinese have bigger values of cranial horizontal circumference, orbital height, orbital breadth, nasal height and upper facial height than those of South Chinese. 2. Indices comparisons indicate that from north to south, the percentages of brachycrany, leptorrhiny and hypsiconchy decrease; mesocrany, mesoprosopy, mesorrhiny and mesoconchy increase. 3. The result of cluster analysis shows all these groups were classified into two parts just according to geographical regions. According to the results of the analysis of the skull data, it is proposed that modern Chinese should be divided into two types (north and south).