Anthropometric comparison of cephalic indices between the Ijaw and Igbo tribes

Abstract

Cephalic index is an important parameter for classifying populations. In the present study, 200 students with age range of 17 to 25 years of Ijaw and Igbo origin from some Nigerian higher institutions of learning were measured for head length and head breadth and cephalic index was worked out. One hundred comprising 63 males and 37 females were of Ijaw tribe 53 males and 47 females were of Igbo tribe. The result obtained showed that the Ijaw males had a mean cephalic index (CI) of 80.98, Ijaw females 78.24, Igbo males 79.04 and Igbo females 76.83. Thus Ijaw males belong to brachycephalic group, while Ijaw females, Igbo males and Igbo females are mesocephalic. On the average, the mean C.I. in the two tribes were <80 but 75 which puts them in the mesocephalic or medium headed population. However, analysis using the student's t-test indicated there was no significant difference between the two tribes (p>0.05). The result of this study will be of importance in forensic medicine, anthropology and in genetics.

Keywords: cephalic index, tribes and anthropometry

Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 12(1) 2006: 137-138