MEASUREMENTS AND INDICES

GENERAL

Weight[12]

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample814105-300163.020.312.5

Interior00000

East73130-245168.119.311.5

Coast210118-300160.722.814.2

N.W.79120-212161.916.910.4

The average weight of 163 pounds, coupled with their rather tall stature, describes the Fijian as a large person, on the whole. Their generous weight does not reflect excessive obesity; the body build, as will be pointed out later, is prevailingly muscular and athletic. Variation among the regional samples is not significant; all the groups average more than 160 pounds.

Stature

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815150.1-195.0172.56.13.5

Interior154150.1-183.7169.66.03.5

East120160.2-190.5173.36.03.5

Coast210156.1-195.0173.45.83.4

N.W.79159.8-186.0172.75.83.3

Fiji (Howells)133158-190170.86.13.6

Solomons (Howells)85146-181160.26.84.2

Tonga (Sullivan)92160-188173.05.23.0

The stature of the Fijians is moderately tall. Howells' series of Fijians, as well as mine, indicate this category. In this measurement, the Fijians are similar to the Tongans. They are 12 cm. taller than the Melanesians.

Among the Fijian themselves, the interior people of the highlands are definitely shorter than the rest of the population.

Rumors still persist of remnants of pygmoid people in the interior mountains of Viti Levu. I found no evidence of them either in my travels in the interior or by extensive inquiries among natives and Europeans who had thorough knowledge of the whole island.

Span

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815155.0-208.0180.015.18.8

Interior154155.0-201.0179.57.54.2

East120166.4-200.5178.124.313.6

Coast210160.1-208.0181.214.68.1

N.W.79165.1-202.0180.021.611.9

Span of the arms also reflects the generous proportions of the Fijians. Regional difference is not marked. Relative to stature, the hill people have the longer arms and the eastern natives the shortest. The greater relative arm length of the hill tribes seems to be owing more to deficiency of stature than to excessive arm length or shoulder breadth.

Span-Stature Index

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81596.1-116.3104.38.58.15

Interior15499.4-115.1105.22.32.2

East12099.1-108.5102.713.513.14

Coast21097.9-116.3104.47.77.4

N.W.79100.2-109.7104.112.011.5

THE TRUNK

Sitting Height

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81575.1-10087.03.53.9

Interior15475.1-9484.49.411.0

East12081-10088.53.53.9

Coast21080-9987.73.23.6

N.W.7980-9486.02.93.3

Fiji (Howells)13278-10188.33.063.46

Solomons (Howells)8569-9583.63.84.5

A total sitting height average of 87 cm. attests the generous general body length. A regional trend follows the same curve as that for stature. The eastern body length is greatest; it exceeds the over-all average by 1-1/2 cm. and is more than 4 cm. larger than the interior people who fall at the bottom of the scale of sitting height. Howells' Fijian series is close to my eastern average. Compared with the Solomon Islands natives, the Fijians are much more elongated.

Relative Sitting Height

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81545-5850.41.53.0

Interior15446-5649.81.42.8

East12048-5451.01.32.5

Coast21046-5650.51.42.8

N.W.7947-5450.21.42.8

Fiji (Howells)13246-5751.71.362.63

Solomons (Howells)8546-5752.11.642.92

The relative sitting height ratio for all Fijians is 50.4 per cent. The eastern average of 51 per cent indicates a little more legginess, whereas the interior groups tend somewhat to longer trunks.

Biacromial

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81528-4739.78.26.2

Interior15429-4339.06.24.7

East12035-4539.96.14.0

Coast21028-4539.77.64.9

N.W.7935-4740.56.63.9

The Fijians are generally a broad-shouldered people. The inhabitants of Ra and Ba have the highest average and the interior people are least broad-shouldered.

Relative Shoulder Breadth

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81518-2722.31.35.8

Interior15419-2522.91.03.9

East12020-2623.01.03.9

Coast21018-2622.91.04.4

N.W.7920-2723.43.113.2

Relative to total stature, shoulder breadth averages 22.3 per cent. No significant regional differences are indicated.

Bi-Iliac

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81523-4029.25.65.3

Interior15425-3829.05.15.2

East12027-3429.54.14.8

Coast21023-3729.25.95.5

N.W.7926-3229.34.65.0

The Fijians, as a whole, are fairly broad-hipped; this condition holds with little variation in all the provinces.

Shoulder-Hip

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81558-10173.74.35.8

Interior15465-10074.64.25.6

East12067-8273.83.24.3

Coast21058-9973.54.35.9

N.W.7962-8672.85.98.1

The total shoulder-hip ratio describes the shoulders as 73.7 per cent as wide as the hips. These ratios do not vary greatly in different parts of Fiji. The somewhat higher index of the hill groups is owing largely to their narrower shoulders, whereas the superior shoulder breadth of the northwest provinces contributes mostly to the lower hip-shoulder index.

Chest Breadth

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81524-3928.66.45.7

Interior15425-3328.63.34.7

East12026-3929.47.25.8

Coast21025-3728.77.86.2

N.W.7925-3228.94.34.9

Broad chests are also characteristic in Fiji. The eastern men surpass the Viti Levu males, and the interior groups have the narrowest chests, but the regional variations are small.

Chest Depth

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815184-30822.95.57.0

Interior154195-26322.43.25.8

East120189-29522.54.96.6

Coast210184-30021.75.77.2

N.W.79192-25021.83.36.0

The chests of the Fijians are also fairly deep. The close similarity in chest depth of the interior group and the eastern sample is rather striking inasmuch as the former are nearly 4 cm. shorter in stature. This would indicate that the interior group, for their size, are relatively deep-chested.

Thoracic

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81559-9676.44.66.0

Interior15469-8878.53.95.0

East12065-8576.34.35.6

Coast21056-8975.54.76.2

N.W.7965-8575.74.45.8

The thoracic index shows that the Fijians are deep-chested relative to thoracic breadth as well as in absolute values. Again the interior people stand out for their deeper chests.

ARMS AND LEGS

Arm Length

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81545-8775.25.06.6

Interior15445-8373.64.86.1

East12052-8475.13.95.2

Coast21057-8776.04.96.4

N.W.7955-8675.36.68.8

The over-all arm length is 75.2 cm. Shorter arms seem to be characteristic of the interior population where the average is nearly 2 cm. less than the over-all average. The eastern group has the longest arms; the other samples are intermediate.

Humeral Length

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81526-3932.88.65.7

Interior15428-3832.87.15.2

East12028-3932.98.35.6

Coast21026-3832.99.15.8

N.W.7928-3833.07.95.4

Length of the upper arm averages 33 cm. for all Fijians; the several provinces are closely similar in this trait.

Radial Length

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81523-3527.64.15.1

Interior15424-3327.32.44.5

East12023-3427.56.96.1

Coast21024-3527.93.54.8

N.W.7925-3227.93.44.8

Lower arm length is 27.6 cm. and also varies but little among the regional samples.

Radial-Humeral

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81565-11384.04.25.0

Interior15477-10483.03.84.6

East12065-9583.54.75.6

Coast21075-11384.74.24.9

N.W.7977-9482.23.64.3

The radial-humeral ratio indicates that the lower arm of Fijians is 84 per cent as long as the upper arm. None of the subgroups deviates markedly from this average.

Leg Length[13]

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81561-9884.310.512.5

Interior15474-9681.18.612.9

East12073-9684.18.610.3

Coast21068-9785.37.28.5

N.W.7975-9585.74.45.2

Average leg length is 84.3 cm., and some regional differences are manifest. The legs of the hill people are shorter by 3 cm. than are the other groups. Their neighbors to the northwest and east have the longest legs, and the eastern are intermediate.

Tibial Length

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81534-4940.98.36.9

Interior15435-4540.313.410.8

East12035-4740.76.25.2

Coast21035-4741.26.85.1

N.W.7936-4740.96.15.9

Lower leg length is around 40 cm. for all Fijians. The regional pattern is similar to that of total leg length: shortest in the highlands, intermediate in the east, and longest in the coastal and northwestern districts.

Calf Circumference

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81529-5737.66.77.1

Interior15431-5137.06.47.1

East12033-5038.14.76.5

Coast21029-4837.29.47.9

N.W.7930-4337.77.66.3

The generous girth of the calf of the Fijians reflects their sturdily muscled legs. The eastern groups excel the other Fijians in this respect, whereas the interior groups have the lowest average for calf circumference.

THE HEAD

Head Circumference

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815410-630562.47.86.7

Interior154537-613565.34.12.5

East120528-630566.34.92.9

Coast210410-630563.54.63.5

N.W.79537-597557.714.311.5

The head circumference average of 562.4 mm. Probably is a little on the large size because of the thick wiry hair of most Fijians; the eastern groups appear to have the largest heads and the northwestern groups show a rather abrupt drop.

Head Length[14]

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815162-215187.99.45.0

Interior154170-210190.17.64.0

East120172-209188.66.63.5

Coast210162-215187.413.57.2

N.W.79165-214187.27.94.2

Fiji (Howells)133164-208188.87.293.86

Solomons (Howells)85170-208188.56.53.5

Tonga (Sullivan)117173-213191.06.63.5

Total head length for all Fijians is 187.9 mm; longest heads occur in the interior. Both Howells' Fijian average and the Solomon Islands series are close to the above value. Gifford's Tongan head length of 191 mm. Somewhat exceeds the Fijian.

Head Breadth

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815122-186155.96.87.7

Interior154135-170152.16.64.3

East120144-172157.25.23.3

Coast210141-186158.39.38.5

N.W.79122-185152.98.68.2

Fiji (Howells)133135-170153.76.13.9

Solomons (Howells)85126-158144.75.23.6

Tonga (Sullivan)117145-167154.84.32.8

General head breadth is 155.9 mm., and considerable regional variation is shown. Fijians of the interior have the narrowest heads, whereas the coastal and eastern people have appreciably wider heads. Howells' series of Fijians are closest to my highland groups.

The Solomon Islanders are markedly narrower headed than the Fijians, whereas Sullivan's Tongan series is nearer the Fijian average.

Cephalic Index

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81568-9983.06.47.7

Interior15468-9680.06.07.3

East12072-9283.93.84.5

Coast21072-9984.27.28.6

N.W.7971-9581.610.312.6

Fiji (Howells)13368-9481.544.75.7

Solomons (Howells)8565-8876.83.95.1

Tonga (Sullivan)11773-8981.13.13.9

Most Fijians tend to brachycephaly. The eastern natives and those of the coastal series have the broadest heads. The interior people show definitely lesser values in this ratio than do the other groups. Howells' Fijian series is close to the northwestern Fijians in their mesocephaly, and so is the Tongan mean. The Solomon series borders on dolicocephaly.

Head Height

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815110-154129.56.87.9

Interior154114-140127.74.83.8

East120114-148129.65.03.9

Coast210112-154120.07.05.4

N.W.79117-142127.69.28.9

Head height averages do not differ greatly among the provinces. The interior and northwestern people have somewhat lower heads; the coastal and eastern people show slight superiority.

Length-Height

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81555-8469.03.43.6

Interior15459-7767.23.95.8

East12061-7868.73.24.7

Coast21055-8469.43.74.3

N.W.7958-8468.14.53.5

Relative to head length, the cranial vault of Fijians is high. The mountain people show the lowest relative head height, whereas the other provinces are nearer to the over-all average.

Breadth-Height

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81566-10283.03.03.3

Interior15475- 9684.03.94.6

East12075- 9182.43.44.1

Coast21066- 9782.85.38.4

N.W.7973- 9281.28.69.7

Head height relative to total breadth is 83 per cent. In this ratio the interior groups have the highest index, a condition owing more to deficiency in cranial breadth than to superior head height.

Cranial Module

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815141-176157.710.56.7

Interior154147-166156.611.57.3

East120148-172158.44.42.7

Coast210143-176158.515.59.7

N.W.79141-171155.910.76.7

Head size as expressed by the cranial module averages 157.7 mm. for all Fijians. Regional fluctuation is unimportant.

Minimum Frontal

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81599-125109.94.02.7

Interior154100-121109.83.63.3

East12099-122110.83.83.4

Coast210100-125109.74.74.3

N.W.79101-120109.43.73.4

A minimum frontal diameter of 109.9 mm. indicates a fairly ample forehead breadth for the total sample. None of the subgroups depart much from this value.

Fronto-Parietal

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81558-8970.64.36.1

Interior15463-8272.23.34.6

East12064-7970.53.04.3

Coast21058-7769.94.15.9

N.W.7961-8969.78.712.5

Forehead breadth relative to total cranial width is 70.6 per cent. The greatest deviation from this average occurs in the interior where the fronto-parietal ratio is 72.2 per cent and lesser head breadth more than greater forehead width causes the higher index.

THE FACE

Bizygomatic

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815110-164145.75.03.4

Interior154110-163145.86.34.3

East120137-161146.74.32.9

Coast210128-164145.24.93.4

N.W.79136-156145.14.33.0

Fiji (Howells)132130-159144.055.053.5

Solomons (Howells)84115-149138.05.54.0

Tonga (Sullivan)116131-159143.55.94.1

Broad faces are the rule among most of these people, as the total average of 145.7 mm. shows. Regional values for this criterion are closely alike in all parts of Fiji, the eastern showing a slight superiority in bizygomatic breadth.

Howells' Fiji series is slightly lower in this diameter as is the Tongan average. The Solomon Islands natives have definitely narrower faces.

Cephalo-Facial

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81582-10893.55.76.1

Interior15484-10896.04.85.0

East12082-10293.33.23.4

Coast21085-10392.55.76.2

N.W.7980-10492.66.47.3

Fiji (Howells)13285-11193.73.53.7

Solomons (Howells)8485-11195.43.84.0

Tonga (Sullivan)11685-10392.83.53.7

Face breadth relative to head width averages 93.5 per cent for all Fijians; Howell's series is much the same. The narrower heads of the interior people largely account for their higher index; otherwise there is general similarity in the several provinces.

Zygo-Frontal

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81564-10075.53.03.9

Interior15464-9875.43.24.2

East12068-9975.52.53.3

Coast21066-10075.53.14.1

N.W.7966-9375.42.93.8

Tonga (Sullivan)11663-8473.14.25.8

The ratio of forehead width to face breadth is 75.5. All of the regional averages for the zygo-frontal index are strikingly alike among the Fijians in every instance; the forehead is about three-quarters the breadth of the face. The Tongan ratio is a little lower.

Total Face Height

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample815100-147122.56.04.9

Interior154103-137121.35.64.6

East120110-147124.75.84.7

Coast210107-142122.66.15.0

N.W.79100-143121.76.85.6

Fiji (Howells)133105-159121.86.95.7

Solomons (Howells)85100-129116.46.65.7

Tonga (Sullivan)116112-147128.26.85.3

Fijian faces have the moderate average height of 122.5 mm. Slightly shorter faces occur in the interior people, whereas the greatest total face height average occurs in the east. The Fijian of Howells' series is close to mine. The Tongan value for face height describes them as definitely longer faced. The Solomon Islanders depart in the other direction with decidedly shorter faces.

Total Facial Index

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81568-10484.14.65.5

Interior15473-9683.24.45.3

East12075-10185.04.45.2

Coast21073-9784.54.65.4

N.W.7968-10483.95.66.7

Fiji (Howells)13274-10584.75.06.0

Solomons (Howells)8474-9784.54.45.2

Tonga (Sullivan)11678-10289.34.45.0

Relative to maximum breadth, the Fijian face tends to shortness, although this is due largely to their generous facial breadth rather than absolute deficiency of height. The interior groups have the lowest values and the eastern groups show relatively broad faces.

The Tongan average is much higher than any of the Fijian values, whereas the Solomon Islanders show similarity to the Fijians in this feature.

Upper Face Height

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81556-8470.25.17.3

Interior15459-7969.13.95.6

East12064-8371.74.05.6

Coast21059-8470.46.69.4

N.W.7958-8069.44.86.9

The ratio of the upper face height to maximum facial breadth shows the Fijians of the interior to be relatively shorter faced and the eastern people longest. The coastal and northwestern series are intermediate.

Upper Facial Index

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81537-6548.23.77.7

Interior15441-6547.43.37.0

East12042-5948.92.95.9

Coast21040-5948.54.89.9

N.W.7939-5647.83.57.3

The ratio of the upper face height to maximum facial breadth shows the Fijians of the interior to be relatively shorter faced and the eastern people longest. The coastal and northwestern series are intermediate.

Bigonial

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81595-146109.75.14.6

Interior15495-146109.86.03.6

East12097-125110.65.14.6

Coast21095-129109.95.34.8

N.W.7999-119109.14.54.1

Tonga (Sullivan)11692-119104.85.85.5

Lower jaw breadth as expressed by the bigonial diameter indicates a tendency to broadness shared with little variation among all the subgroups. The Tongan value is considerably smaller.

Fronto-Gonial

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81580-12299.95.55.5

Interior15484-122100.06.06.0

East12086-11599.95.35.3

Coast21080-114100.36.06.0

N.W.7985-11399.84.84.8

Similarly the bigonial diameter in relation to forehead breadth is much the same in all groups, the general average nearly 100 per cent.

Zygo-Gonial

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81565-8675.34.15.4

Interior15467-8675.46.08.0

East12065-8275.43.54.6

Coast21066-8375.73.44.5

N.W.7968-8375.23.44.5

Tonga (Sullivan)11663-8773.24.66.2

Relative to face breadth, jaw width is 75.3 per cent with very little geographic variation.

Nasal Height

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81542-6553.93.46.3

Interior15445-6553.23.56.6

East12048-6254.73.15.7

Coast21046-6354.13.46.3

N.W.7945-6152.93.56.6

Fiji (Howells)13344-6352.43.97.4

Solomons (Howells)8540-5949.93.87.7

Tonga (Sullivan)11747-6557.43.96.8

The Fijian nose may be called medium long. Greatest nasal heights occur in the eastern and in the coastal series. The interior and northwestern groups have shorter noses. The Fijians of Howells' series fall near the short end of my averages. Natives of the Solomons are definitely lower in nasal height, whereas the Tongan's average is so much higher that one suspects a difference in the location of the nasion.

Nasal Breadth

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81531-6246.73.47.3

Interior15440-6147.63.47.1

East12038-5345.53.06.6

Coast21038-6246.43.37.1

N.W.7931-5747.43.67.6

Fiji (Howells)13337-5446.193.06.0

Solomons (Howells)8534-5144.62.86.3

Tonga (Sullivan)11738-5544.43.06.8

Broad noses are common to most Fijians. The greatest contrast is between the narrower-nosed eastern people and the interior people, among whom the widest noses occur. The nose of the Solomon Islanders is somewhat narrower, according to Howells' data, and the Tongan average is also lower.

Nasal Index

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81561-11287.18.29.4

Interior15469-10989.78.19.0

East12061-10083.27.69.1

Coast21063-11186.07.18.7

N.W.7963-11089.98.69.6

Fiji (Howells)13368-12388.88.39.3

Solomons (Howells)8568-11987.18.910.2

Tonga (Sullivan)11761-9877.67.69.8

Platyrrhini is the rule in Fiji, but individual and regional variations are great. There are some leptorrine subjects in every province, and there are some whose noses are broader than long. The interior people and the northwestern groups have the relatively broadest noses, whereas the eastern index is more moderate. The noses of Sullivan's Tongans are relatively longer than the Lauans. The Solomon Island average is identical with the Fijian.

Nasal Depth

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81516-3222.02.93.2

Interior15417-3222.52.19.3

East12017-2821.91.88.2

Coast21017-3221.83.66.5

N.W.7916-2922.31.98.5

Nasal depth averages 22 mm.; the regional variation is very small.

Nasal-Depth Index

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81532-6047.26.86.8

Interior15434-5947.45.16.6

East12035-6048.44.69.5

Coast21032-5847.08.17.2

N.W.7934-5847.25.56.7

Mouth Breadth

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81529-7257.64.78.2

Interior15434-7259.64.47.4

East12033-6656.53.96.9

Coast21029-6757.34.07.0

N.W.7936-6557.34.47.8

Mouth breadth averages show the interior groups to have widest mouths, the eastern people least wide, and the coastal and northwestern people intermediate.

Lip Thickness

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample8159-4522.43.86.9

Interior15412-3123.43.65.4

East12012-2921.73.45.7

Coast21016-4520.83.65.3

N.W.7910-2922.03.95.7

Thick lips are characteristic of most Fijians. The interior average is highest for this diameter, whereas the northwestern Fijians have least-thick lips.

Ear Length

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81555-8366.64.56.8

Interior15453-8366.04.87.3

East12055-8067.25.07.4

Coast21055-7766.74.97.3

N.W.7957-7566.53.75.6

Tonga (Sullivan)11756-8166.04.66.9

Fijian ears on the whole tend to be long, as the average 66.6 mm. indicates. Regional differences are slight. Tongans closely resemble Fijians.

Ear Breadth

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81524-5534.33.29.3

Interior15427-4133.72.57.4

East12029-4034.14.011.7

Coast21029-5534.73.911.2

N.W.7925-4233.82.98.6

Tonga (Sullivan)11625-4234.52.67.6

Ear breadth is also generous, and regional differences hardly exceed 1.5 mm., including the Tongans.

Ear Index

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81538-6251.65.09.7

Interior15440-6151.13.67.0

East12041-5950.65.811.5

Coast21042-6252.16.712.9

N.W.7938-5950.94.07.9

Tonga (Sullivan)11641-6252.43.97.5

Length-breadth ear ratios indicate that coastal groups have somewhat broader, and the northwestern people the relative longest, ears.

Bicanine Breadth

No.RangeMeanS.D.C.V.

Total sample81524-7239.811.719.4

Interior15437-4939.910.716.8

East12036-6841.87.47.7

Coast21024-7239.013.414.3

N.W.7938-4938.614.016.3

Bicanine breadth is characteristically great among Fijians, reflecting the ample jaws and teeth. Widest diameters are seen in the east, followed by the hill people of the interior. The northwestern groups have the least bicanine diameter.