CATALOG OF HUMAN CRANIA — HRDLICKA 419 



ABSTRACT AND NOTES ON THE ESKIMO CRANIA 



The preceding records relate to 1 1 larger geographical groups of the 

 true Eskimo, extending over almost their whole habitat. They in- 

 clude only fullbloods, i. e., immLxed with the white or the Negro. 

 Any specimen doubtful in this respect was excluded, but there were 

 very few such specimens. The material was almost wholly collected 

 by scientific workers. 



The measurements show some local differences, but a close basic 

 similarity is evident throughout. Here, plainly, is a single physical 

 strain of the human family, differing only, as any other large and 

 widely scattered strain would, in secondary peculiarities. There is 

 nevertheless a possibility that the ancestry of the group was not 

 homogeneous but that it consisted of two related yet separate strains, 

 one with shorter head and face and one with longer; but it may be 

 possible also that such local differentiations as the group presents 

 were realized within itself, through inherent variability and segrega- 

 tion. Whatever may be the truth in this respect, it seems certain 

 that the mixture or changes took place not on the American continent 

 but well back in the original habitat of the people, which doubtless 

 was Arctic Asia. 



Before proceeding with the results as shown by the preceding data 

 it will be useful to give what is now known of the statures of the people 

 in the various regions, and the mean bicondylar length of the femur. 

 Where the stature is not known or not known well, the length of the 

 femur gives a very good basis by which to gage the relative values of 

 the various measurements. This femoral length moreover gives an 

 excellent means for estimating the stature where it is not known 

 definitely. In all the Eskimo groups where both the stature and the 

 femoral length are known with some reliability the latter is close to 

 26 percent of the former. The available data follow; they are by 

 no means all that could be desired, yet they have a value. 



