A Racial Study of the Fijians - Part 8
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Part 8

The chin is commonly median although 17 per cent have the bilateral type. The bilateral chin is least frequent in Lau (7 per cent).

THE HEAD

_Temporal Fullness_

Absent Subm. + Total No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 1 0 563 69 249 31 813 Interior 0 0 113 74 40 26 153 East 0 0 70 58 50 42 120 Coast 1 0 148 71 60 29 208 N.W. 0 0 59 75 20 25 79

_Occipital Protrusion_

Absent Subm. + Total No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 13 2 775 95 25 3 813 Interior 4 3 149 97 0 0 153 East 0 0 116 97 4 3 120 Coast 3 1 193 92 13 6 209 N.W. 0 0 79 100 0 0 79

A narrowness in the temporal part of the head is indicated. Sixty-nine per cent of the subject show submedium temporal fullness, whereas the remainder are moderate. This condition is not marked and may best be described as a discernable tendency.

The back of the head is generally rather flat as the 95 per cent incidence of occipital protrusion indicates. This is a natural condition; no intentional flattening is practiced by Fijians.

_Lambdoidal Flattening_

Absent Subm. + Total No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 754 93 32 4 27 3 813 Interior 153 100 0 0 0 0 153 East 113 94 5 4 2 2 120 Coast 188 90 13 6 8 4 209 N.W. 72 91 3 4 4 5 79

_Occipital Flattening_

Absent Subm. + Total No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 809 100 2 0 2 0 813 Interior 153 100 0 0 0 0 153 East 120 100 0 0 0 0 120 Coast 209 100 0 0 0 0 209 N.W. 79 99 0 0 1 1 79

_Median Sagittal Crest_

Absent Subm. + Total No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 600 74 177 22 36 4 813 Interior 96 63 46 30 11 7 153 East 109 91 10 8 1 1 120 Coast 160 77 43 21 6 3 209 N.W. 53 57 24 30 2 3 79

_Parietal Bosses_

Absent Subm. + ++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 17 2 413 51 381 47 2 0 813 Interior 1 1 130 85 22 14 0 0 153 East 4 3 66 55 50 42 0 0 120 Coast 6 3 82 39 120 57 1 0 209 N.W. 1 1 40 51 38 48 0 0 79

A median sagittal crest though not striking is recorded in a number of cases. It has a submedium incidence of 22 per cent and p.r.o.nounced 4 per cent. Among the interior people, the crest is more common. Because of the heavy, bushy, and wiry hair of Fijians it is probable that some instances of this feature were not detected by simple palpation, and the incidence may be higher than the data indicate.

Submedium development of the parietal bosses is rather common occurring in 51 per cent of the series. It is very common in the interior (85 per cent).

_Cranial Asymmetry_

Absent Left Right Total No. % No. % No. %

Fiji 813 100 0 0 0 0 813 Interior 153 100 0 0 0 0 153 East 119 100 0 0 0 0 119 Coast 208 100 0 0 0 0 208 N.W. 79 100 0 0 0 0 79

_Facial Asymmetry_

Absent Left Right Total No. % No. % No. %

Fiji 806 100 1 0 0 0 807 Interior 153 100 0 0 0 0 153 East 117 98 0 0 2 2 119 Coast 206 99 0 0 2 1 208 N.W. 78 99 1 0 0 0 79

Cranial and facial a.s.symetry are generally lacking, at least in any marked degree. Normal asymmetries of the face and head were ignored in this description.

EYES

_Eye Folds: External_

Absent Subm. + ++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %

Fiji 804 98 5 1 4 1 0 0 813 Interior 152 99 0 0 1 1 0 0 153 East 119 99 0 0 1 1 0 0 120 Coast 209 99 1 1 1 1 0 0 208 N.W. 78 99 0 0 1 1 0 0 79

_Eye Fold: Median_

Absent Subm. + ++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 782 96 3 1/2 25 3 3 1/2 813 Interior 152 99 0 0 1 1 0 0 153 East 108 90 1 1 10 8 1 1 120 Coast 202 97 1 0 5 2 1 0 209 N.W. 78 99 0 0 0 0 1 1 79

_Eye Folds: Internal_

Absent Subm. + ++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 778 96 4 0 30 4 1 0 813 Interior 151 99 0 0 2 1 0 0 153 East 102 85 1 1 17 14 1 0 120 Coast 203 97 0 0 6 3 0 0 209 N.W. 78 99 0 0 1 1 0 0 79 Fiji II 116 89 7 5-1/2 7 5-1/2 0 0 130 Solomons 80 94 2 2-1/2 3 3-1/2 0 0 85 Tonga 63 57 33 30 9 8 6 5 111

Eye folds are not a feature of the Fijian facial make-up. The external fold is present in only 2 per cent of the total series. The median fold shows a 96 per cent absence. The eastern groups exceed the other provinces with a 10 per cent occurrence. The internal eye fold has a total presence of 4 per cent and is also commoner in the east (14 per cent).

_Eye Obliquity_

Absent Subm. + ++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 251 31 358 43 201 25 3 1 813 Interior 92 60 46 30 14 9 1 1 153 East 33 28 52 35 45 38 0 0 120 Coast 47 22 102 49 58 28 2 1 209 N.W. 27 34 32 41 20 25 0 0 79

_Eye Opening_

Absent Subm. + ++ Total No. % No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 0 0 75 9-1/2 737 91 1 1/2 813 Interior 0 0 24 16 128 84 1 1 153 East 0 0 13 11 107 89 0 0 120 Coast 0 0 9 4 200 96 0 0 209 N.W. 0 0 7 9 72 91 0 0 79

Some degree of eye obliquity is present in the majority of cases; 43 per cent show a submedium condition; 25 per cent are medium and three individuals have p.r.o.nouncedly oblique eyes. The remainder, or 31 per cent, have no obliquity. In the east, the natives depart from this total distribution in opposite directions. The interior groups have much less eye obliquity; the eastern people, a great deal more. The other provinces are quite close to the total frequencies.