Siillk'aii — Tongan Somatology 257 



DISCUSSION AXD CONCLUSIONS 



Comparison of the Tongans with the Samoans has thus shown remarkably 

 close resemblance between these two groups in almost every detail. The few small 

 differences might well be considered as accidental or as reflecting slight local 

 differences, were it not for the fact that they point in the main in one direction. 

 From the general direction of these differences it seems most reasonable to assume 

 that they are the result of Alelanesian intermixture. 



In another publication" I stated that I saw no reason for assuming any 

 appreciable amount of Melanesian blood in Samoa. Perhaps this statement should 

 be qualified to make its meaning clearer. The census returns show that there are 

 in Samoa and Tonga a considerable number of natives of Fiji and other Melanesian 

 islands. In both of these island groups there are persons of known and admittedly 

 mixed ]\Ielanesian-Polynesian parentage. These facts are known and require no 

 anthropological research to establish them. In view of these facts it is desirable to 

 determine to what extent the population styling itself as of pure Samoan or of pure 

 Tongan origin has been in the past aft'ected by INIelanesian intermixture. 



This problem can be solved only by determining the degrees of differences 

 and likenesses in the groups concerned. The results, however, can be expressed 

 only in general terms, for there are no known factors in the ecpation. From the 

 marked general differences in physical type between Samoans and Melanesians I 

 conclude that the amount of Melanesian blood in Samoa is very small. This may 

 be due to the fact that intermixture never took place on a very large scale in Samoa, 

 or that if it did take place on a large scale it was so long ago that the Melanesian 

 element is almost completely absorbed by the general Samoan population. 



In Tonga conditions are somewhat diff'erent. Enough Melanesian blood is 

 in evidence to alter noticeably the average physical type. But such correlation exists 

 between the various Melanesian traits in individuals and groups that when individ- 

 uals are classed on the basis of one Melanesian trait the averages in many other 

 traits also reflect the Melanesian intermixture more clearly than do the Tongans 

 as a whole. 



From this it may be assumed that the Melanesian element in Tonga is either 

 comparatively recent or considerable in amount. The chances are in favor of recent 

 rather than great intermixture, l)ut since skeletal material of known chronological 

 sequence is lacking, no definite conclusion is possible. It may be said, however, 

 that without much doubt there is considerably more Alelanesian blood in the general 

 Tongan population than there is in the general Samoan population. 



In their broader racial affinities the Samoans and Tongans are very similar, 

 and therefore what I have said of the Samoans holds for the Tongans. Never- 



' Op. cit. 



[27] 



