42 MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA 



the Canal Zone. In northern Costa Rica the Guatuso 

 and Talamanca tribes still maintain to a considerable 

 degree their old native character. 



Physical Types. Minor physical differences in 

 stature, head form, and facial expression mark off pretty 

 clearly the tribes of this area from each other. The 

 stature is lowest among the Mayas and Mazatecs, 

 the average being about 5 feet 1 inch, while among the 

 Tarascans, Tlaxcalas, and.Zapotecs, it averages about 

 5 feet 3 inches. The other tribes of Central America 

 and of central Mexico fall between these extremes. In 

 northern Mexico the stature increases considerably, 

 average measurements for the Yaqui being in excess of 

 5 feet 6 inches. To make up for their lack of height 

 the southern Indians are sturdy and heavy muscled, 

 with deep chests. Their hair is usually black and 

 straight, but occasionally wavy. Light beards and 

 mustaches are sometimes worn, especially by the 

 Mayas. The eyes are so dark brown as to appear black 

 to the casual observer. They are set rather wide apart 

 and while usually horizontal they seem, in some in- 

 stances, to have a slight Mongoloid tilt. Noses vary 

 greatly but are often finely aquiline. The cephalic 

 index (obtained by dividing the breadth of the head by 

 its length and multiplying the result by 100) is rather 

 high. The Mayas are strongly round-headed with an 

 index of 85.0 while their linguistic relatives, the Tzen- 

 dals, have a medium index of 76.8. The other tribes of 

 southern Mexico fall between these extremes. No long- 

 headed peoples are found in this area although in north- 

 ern Mexico some tribes approach the long-headed type. 



