Physical Characteristics of the Copper Eskimos 



b57 



The statement of Hawkes 1 that the cephalic index among Eskimos increases 

 from east to west finds little support in the tables given above. The indices 

 in Greenland, Labrador, Hudson bay and Coronation gulf all closely approxi- 

 mate to one another. The data from the Mackenzie delta is conflicting, but 

 shows a tendency towards dolichocephaly rather than brachycephaly. 2 The 

 only marked increase is on the Noatak river in Alaska, where admixture with 

 the adjacent Indians may perhaps be assigned as the cause. Hawkes' theory 

 is not borne out either by the cranial indices from the different regions, some 

 of which are quoted below. 



In regard to sexual differences the cephalic indices of the women seem to 

 be everywhere slightly lower than those of the men, the difference varying 

 from about 1 to 2-5. Such skull measurements as are available give a directly 

 opposite result. Thus : — 



CRANIAL INDEX 



Very little stress can be laid on the exact figures in most of these cases since 

 they are based on very limited series of measurements. In general it may be 

 stated that the difference between the sexes, whichever way it inclines, is 

 comparatively small and for all practical purposes negligible. 



FACE MEASUREMENTS 



The face measurements include the total length of the face from the nasion 

 to the chin, the length of the upper portion of the face from the nasion to the 

 alveolar point, the breath of the face across the zygomatic arches and the 

 breadth of the jaw. From these are compiled three indices, the facial index 



/length of upper face\ , , . , . . , / breadth of jaw \ , , . 



\ toeadthofface /' the ^-zygomatic index ( breadth of face |, and the in- 



. . , . breadth of face „-,, , ,,, 



dex giving the proportion r , , , , — -j . The measurements of the nose are 



reserved for later consideration. 



221. The theory was first advanced by Topinard, 



'American Anthropologist, N.S., 18, 1916, p. 

 Anthropology, London, 1890, p. 473. 



z The Herschel island crania measured by Russell give indices of 73-6 for the 2 male and 75-0 for the 

 7 female skulls (Russell, Explorations in the Far North, State University of Iowa, p. 200). 



'Calculated from Hansen's table, op. cit., p. 175. 



'Duckworth and Pain, J. R. A. I., Vol. XXX, p. 136. Russell and Huxley, Proceedings of the Ameri- 

 can Association for the Advancement of Science, 1899, p. 370, give 71 -9 as the mean cranial index for Labra- 

 dor male skulls and 72-3 for female. 



'Hrdlicka, Anthropological Papers, American Museum of Natural History, Vol. V, pt. II, 1910, p. 184. 



6 Hawkes, op. cit., p. 221. 



