Recently published craniometric and genetic studies indicate a predominantly indigenous ancestry of Indian populations. We address this issue with a fuller coverage of Indian craniometrics than any done before. We analyse metrical variability within Indian series, Indians' sexual dimorphism, differences between northern and southern Indians, index-based differences of Indian males from other series, and Indians' multivariate affinities. The relationship between a variable's magnitude and its variability is log-linear. This relationship is strengthened by excluding cranial fractions and series with a sample size less than 30. Male crania are typically larger than female crania, but there are also shape differences. Northern Indians differ from southern Indians in various features including narrower orbits and less pronounced medial protrusion of the orbits. Indians resemble Veddas in having small crania and similar cranial shape. Indians' wider geographic affinities lie with “Caucasoid” populations to the northwest, particularly affecting northern Indians. The latter finding is confirmed from shape-based Mahalanobis-D distances calculated for the best sampled male and female series. Demonstration of a distinctive South Asian craniometric profile and the intermediate status of northern Indians between southern Indians and populations northwest of India confirm the predominantly indigenous ancestry of northern and especially southern Indians.
This paper reports attained means and tempo unconditional 1-year velocities of sitting height, subischial leg length and weight of well-off northwestern Indians based on two time measurements taken by the same measurer. A 3-year difference is observed in reaching the peak sitting height velocity between girls (11 years) and boys (14 years) as in their peak height velocity. While in girls the peak subischial leg length velocity is reached a year earlier, at 10 years, than that of their peak sitting height velocity, in boys it is reached at the same time as in sitting height (14 years). Comparisons of the attained means with the British standards show that while sitting height is shorter throughout in the Indians, the subischial leg length is longer until 12 years in girls and 14 years in boys, after which it becomes equal to that of the British. This differential growth of the two segments comprising stature produces shorter adult height. Though the weight velocities are not dissimilar, the Indian children are lighter throughout. This body shape and size, with relatively longer legs, is a useful adaptation to the northwestern Indian climate.
Tempo-unconditional 1-year bone maturity score velocities in well-off 6-16 year-old North-west Indian children from Chandigarh (245 boys and 238 girls) are presented for the first time using the TW2 system. Rater's replicability/comparability was high. The peak RUS bone maturity score velocity is reached at 13 years in girls and at 15 years in boys, maintaining a standard 2-year difference. Velocities of the three bone maturity scores are relatively larger, but their respective standard deviations are smaller than those reported for American whites and blacks. North-west Indian children seem to be maturing faster than the British standards.
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