Moscow University
Anthropology
Bulletin
Anthropology
Bulletin
Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology RAS, Moscow
Sviridov A.A., e-mail: sviridovarh@rambler.ru
The aim of this work is to study cranial series of 67 skulls from the Loyalty Islands (Northern Melanesia), stored at Musee de l’Homme (Paris, France). The tasks of the study are to identify the features of cranial types of the male and female samples and to calculate preliminary statistical characteristics of the cranial series from the Loyalty Islands; to test for homogeneity the male sample, to determine the taxonomic status of the population of the series studied among the population of Oceania and Australia. The collection was mainly assembled during the second half of the XIX century, at the time of colonization of the Loyalty Islands by the French. The rest of the materials were received from the archaeological researches during the middle of the XX century. Skulls measurements were made according to the standard craniometrical program. Series was tested for homogeneity using mean square deviations and coefficients of variation. «Statistica 7» software package was used for component intra-group and canonical inter-group analyzes. Skulls from Loyalty Islands have specific cranial characteristics. They usually can be characterized as dolichocranial, while cranial height is often greater than biparietal diameter. This cranial type is characterized by relatively lower and broader face in combination with relatively high and narrow braincase. The population of Loyalty Islands has marked alveolar prognathism, rather broad nose, low orbits and expressed horizontal face profile along with relatively low nasal bridge. Both men and women have this cranial type. The study of intragroup variability showed a difference in the cranial types of the population of the Lifou and Mare islands. The differences basically relate to the size of the braincase and the height of the nasal bridge. Comparison of the absolute sizes and craniometric indices of the Loyalty Islands series with some samples of the Oceania and Australia population demonstrated transitional position of the Loyalty Islands population between Polynesian and Australian series. Loyalty Islands series demonstrates morphological closeness with some Melanesia series mainly due to the shape of the braincase and the facial skeleton width. The article describes the specifics of cranial types of male and female samples of the series from the Loyalty Islands. Some differences in the male population cranial types of men from Islands Lifou and Mare were revealed. The results of comparison of the absolute sizes and craniometrical indices in the Loyalty Islands series and the series of Australia, Tasmania, Polynesia, Melanesia, Southeast Asia. Inter-group analysis let us assume that the Loyalty Islands paleopopulation belongs to the Melanesian race.
paleoanthropology, craniometry, Melanesia, Loyalty Islands, Melanesian race
Цит.: Sviridov A.A. Cranial study of population of Loyalty Islands(Melanesia) // Moscow University Anthropology Bulletin (Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta. Seria XXIII. Antropologia), 2014; 2/2014; с. 88-98
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