Vol. 6, 1920 
ANTHROPOLOGY: L. R. SULLIVAN 
ANTHROPOMETRY OF THE SIOUAN TRIBES 
By Louis R. Suluvan 
American Museum of Natural History, New York 
Communicated by H. F. Osborn, January 14, 1920 
The material is the result of investigations made on the occasion of the 
World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 under the supervision 
of Professor Franz Boas. The measurements and observations were made 
by Franz Boas, F. C. Smith, J. W. Cooke, G. A. Kaven, Z. T. Daniels, 
E. F. Wilson, C. A. Helvin, F. C. Kenyon and G. M. West. The series 
contains male and female children and adults and includes a large series 
of half-bloods as well as full-bloods. The total series deals with 1431 
individuals which makes it particularly valuable from a statistical point 
of view. Of this 1431, 594 were male adult full-bloods, 77 were male adult 
half-bloods, 181 were female adult full-bloods and 19 were female adult 
half-bloods. The remainder of the series are children. 
Individuals from the following bands or tribes representing sub-divisions 
of the closely allied Siouan Indians were included in the series: Santee, 
Wahpeton, Sisseton, Yankton, Yanktonai, Cut Head, Teton, Brule, 
Loafer, Oglala, Waziahziah, Sans Arc, Blackfoot Sioux, Minneconjou, 
Two Kettle, Hunkpapa and Assiniboine. In the larger adult male series 
each of these bands was represented on the average by about 30 men. 
The material was first studied by local bands, but so close an agreement 
was found in all the principal measurements and characteristics that 
it seemed preferable to include them all in one large series. The result 
is a fairly homogeneous group with a variability slightly below civilized 
groups in most characteristics. 
Fourteen measurements were taken from which were calculated eight 
indices. Detailed observations were also made on the hair, skin, eyes, 
nose, ears, etc. 
The series is of interest from two points of view: first, from the point 
of view of accurately describing and defining the Siouan type and showing 
its relationship to those American Indian tribes already described, and 
secondly from the point of view of racial intermixture since we have in 
this series individuals representing the results of the intermixture of two 
widely separated races of mankind. 
On the first point, we may say that the Sioux with an average male 
stature of 1724 mm., are among the very tallest of the American Indians 
who range in stature from the 1530 mm. of the Guaranis of South America 
to the 1750 mm. of the Maricopa and Cheyenne. In head form they are 
mesocephalic with an index of 79.6. The face is very wide and high, 
149.1 and 124.6 mm., respectively. On the average the face is nearly 
as wide as the head. The average proportion is 96.1%. The nasal bridge 
is rather high. The hair, of course, is straight and black j the eyes dark 
