HAIR OF AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES (ARNHEM LAND)l

MILDRED TROTTER, OLIVER H. DUGGINS Department of Anatomy, Washington University, Saint Louis

A N D FRANK M. SETZLER

United States National Museum

The form of the hair of Australian aborigines has con- tributed to theories concerning the origin of these people. The hypothesis, supported by Hooton ( ’31)’ that the Aus- tralian is a mixture of an aboriginal frizzly-haired Melanesian and a primitive Caucasoid strain rests primarily on the hair form, a character referred to by Howells (’37) as “that stumbling block.” Based on a study of data collected in 1927 by Warner from the native inhabitants of Northern Australia (Arnhem Land), Howells ( ’37) has proposed that, “the Australians are a major race which represents an earlier stage in the development of Homo sapiens than does any other existing race. . . . its characteristic wavy hair is probably older than the wooly hair of the Negro.” In data collected during 1938-39 pertaining to the aboriginal populations of various and widely separated geographic areas Birdsell (’49) found evidence of three major racial elements on the main- land of Australia; the Oceanic Negritos represented by the Barrinean tribes in coastal north-eastern Queensland ; the Archaic White or Caucasoid group concentrated in the Murray River drainage basin and the contiguous marginal coastal regions to the south and east; and a third group located around the shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. This last group, he considers to be a fourth major racial group with a

* This investigation waa supported (in part) by a grant-in-aid from the Wenner- Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, Inc.

649

650 M. TROTTER, 0. H. DUGGINS AND F. M. SETZLER

status equivalent to that of the Negroid, Mongoloid and Cau- casoid. Their hair form, he describes as wavy to straight. The anthropological significance of Australian aborigines, together with the importance of hair form and color as racial characteristics, justify a detailed examination of the mor- phology of their hair.

During the Arnhem Land Expedition in 1948 one of us (F.M .S.) collected samples of hair from 191 individuals. Observations of form, color, index, cross sectional area, medullation and scale count will be presented and the findings compared with those of other racial groups.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The geographical areas involved are the large island called Groote Eylandt, Yirrkala on the mainland, and Ulingimbi, one of the Crocodile Islands. Groote Eylandt lies off the coast in the Gulf of Carpentaria in relation to the two areas indi- cated by Howells ('37) as Northeast Arnhem Land and Roper River, whereas both Yirrkala and Milingimbi are included in Howells's Northeast Arnhem Land. All three areas are included in the division which Birdsell ('49) considers to be inhabited by Carpentarians, the third and last major racial element to enter Australia. The subjects are distributed according to locality and sex as follows:

QUOOTE EYLANDT YIRRKALA P I L I X G I Y B I TOTAL

Male 36 44 7 a7 Female 39 55 10 104 Total 75 99 17 191

The ages range from 1 to 70 years. Each series includes a large number of related subjects.

The hair samples were cut close to the vertex. Those examined came from 117 individuals, 50 each of the larger groups (25 of each sex) and all of the Milingimbi. The method utilized in evaluating the various characteristics have been applied to hair of other peoples. Each method will be described under the characteristic to which it pertains.

HAIR OF AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES 651

OBSERVATIONS

Form. The gross form of the hair has been determined according to Martin's classScation ( '28). Only 4 of Martin's hair forms are supplied in this study: straight, broad wave, deep wave and curly. No attempt was made to distinguish between the forms designated straf f , schZicht, and fEachweZZig (the lissotrich or straight-hair group) ; hair of any of these three forms was classified as straight. The broad wave, deep wave and curly forms (weitwellig, eqweZZig and Zockig) con- stitute the kymatotrich o r wavy-hair group. And, of the ulo- trich or kinky hair series, which is comprised of 5 forms (gekraiiselt to spiralig inclusive), none was present.

The most frequently occurring hair form for both sexes of all three groups is the broad wave with the remaining samples divided rather equally among the straight, deep wave and curly forms. The distribution in per cent is as follows:

MILINGIMBI OBOOTE EYLANDT YIBRKALA

Male Female Male Female Male Female

Straight 24 16 8 24 14 0 Broad wave 48 56 48 40 43 60 Deep wave 16 24 24 8 29 30 Curly 12 4 20 28 14 10

Color. For designating color each sample has been as- signed the letter of t.he matching color on the Haarfarbentafel of Fischer and Saller ( '28). All are within the color range of brownblack (U to Y inclusive) and with more cases occurring at the darker end of the range than at the lighter. In the samples from three individuals (aged 55-60) there is a large proportion of gray hairs but in no sample are all the hairs gray. The color distribution in per cent is as follows :

~~

GROOTE BYLANDT YIRRKALA MILINGIMBI

Male Female Male Female Male Female

U 20 4 0 0 0 0 V 16 16 0 0 14 0 W 16 16 12 0 43 30 X 48 44 64 20 0 60 Y 0 20 24 80 43 10

652 M. TROTTER, 0. H. DUGGINS AND F. M. SETZLEB

I d e z and area. Since the index or shape of the cross sec- tion of the shaft and the area or size of the cross section has been determined from the same hairs the two characters are considered together. Approximately 25 hairs from each sample were sectioned transversely with the J. I. Hardy thin cross-section device (Trotter and Duggins, '48). The index was determined by use of the formula:

least diameter X 100 - greatest diameter '

and the area in mma by the formula:

The average index and area of hairs from each sex of each group are:

4 greatest diameter x 4 least diameter X 3.1416

GEOOTE EYLANDT YIRRKALA MILINGIMBI

Index Area (mm') Index Area (mm*) Index Area (mm9)

Male 72.6 .0037 67.1 .0044 67.4 .0033 Female 70.0 .0033 67.8 .0037 65.3 .0032

Differences between the average indices and between the average cross-sectional areas of the three groups are small. The indices of the hair of the Groote Eylandt subjects are somewhat higher than for either of the other two groups, whereas the area is smallest for the Milingimbi and largest for the Yirrkala. Within each group the area is slightly greater for the males than for the females; in the case of index the males also exceed the females except for the Yirrkala whose average index for the females is very slightly higher than that for the males.

Medullatiorz. Approximately 25 hairs from each sample were placed parallel on a slide and the length of each shaft scanned through the low power of the microscope for evi- dence of a medulla (Duggins and Trotter, '50). Classification followed that of Wynkoop ('29) : absent, scanty, broken and continuous. The continuous medulla was found least often and the scanty most often. The percentage of hairs showing

H A E OF AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES 653

a medulla of any type was determined for each individual. Since it is known that -medullation is in a state of flux in the very early years of life (Duggins and Trotter, '50) those sub- jects under 5 years of age have been excluded in the determin- ation of the average percentage of hairs with medullas. The incidence (in per cent) of hairs with medullas for each group (including those 5 years of age and older) according to sex are as follows :

MILINGIYBI QEOOTE EYLANDT YIBEKAL.4

Male 34.4 Female 35.8

63.0 50.5

60.8 69.2

The Groote Eylandt subjects have hair with the lowest incidence of medullation and the Milingimbi with the highest. An examination of the incidence of each type of medulla shows that the continuous type occurs in essentially the same number of hairs in each group (range 3-791) ; that the dis- continuous type, although slightly higher in incidence, occurs in approximately the same percentage in each group (range 9-16%) ; but that the fragmentary type is seen in many more hairs in the Yirrkala and Milingimbi (41% and 51%, respec- tively) than in the Groote Eylandt (18%). Thus, it is the fragmentary type of medulla which accounts chiefly for the difference in incidence of medullation among the three groups.

Scale count. A scale count indicates the number of scales in the cuticle whose free edges cross a longitudinal straight line of given length. For each sample counts were made at approximately 25 different sites (Trotter and Duggins, '50), over a distance of 0.16 mm of the shaft. The number of hairs from each sample utilized for these counts averaged 4. The average number of scales (and the range) per unit dis- tance for each group is as follows:

MILINQIYBI QBOOTE EYLANDT YIRBKALA

Male 19.3 (17-24) 19.8 (18-23) 19.0 (17-21) Female 19.8 (18-23) 19.7 (18-22) 19.3 (18-21)

654 M. TROTTER, 0. H. DUGGINS AND F. af. SETZLER

TABLE 1

Data from hair samples of Groote Eylandt subjects according to age MEDULLA SCALB

INCIDENCB OOUNT SUBJEOT AGE FOBM OOLOB INDEX

86 37 28 65 77 80 36 27 41 44 79 78 63 62 88 82 53 21 71 29 89 97 23 47 57

83 81 43 35 42 93 26 39 91 75 25 74 99 66 61 32 31 48 73 30 24 58 72 98 46

years

1 3 4 5 5 5 6 7 8 8 9 11 12 17 24 27 28 40 42 45 52 52 54 55 60

3 3 4 7 7 9 11 12 14 15 17 18 20 21 28 30 32 32 32 35 38 45 50 50 60

S D B B 8 S B B 8 B 8 8 B D C C B C B B D B D B B

B S D B B B 8 D S D B B B D B B B D C B B B B D 8

W U V W W V U V U U x U X X V X X X X X X w X X X

W V U W V X V Y V x Y Y X Y X X W x X Y W X X X X

Males 87.6 72.9 82.2 64.2 80.8 80.9 71.1 80.4 63.7 77.3 80.4 76.8 65.8 72.5 70.3 61.1 71.4 81.8 63.7 71.1 63.9 72.8 62.9 67.9 70.8

Females 82.2 79.9 72.1 81.7 84.8 68.4 68.1 70.0 83.4 72.3 69.8 70.0 74.0 68.9 59.6 63.9 63.6 63.2 64.6 63.8 64.6 57.7 69.8 64.5 70.2

mma

.000966 . 0 0 2 8 0 8 . 0 0 2 8 0 5

.003022

.002135

.002313

.002386

.002932

.002518

.002774

.003251

.003840

.004137

.004317

.005126

.005221

.003486

.004133

.004119

.003607

.003742

.003476

.004669

.002655

.003819

.002206

.001957

.002575

.002384

.002766 . 0 0 2 8 6 2

.003216

.003984

.003387

.005000

.004690

.003109

.003443

.004173

.003743

.002219

.003174

.003885

.003802

.003577

.003480

.003487 ,002675 .003593 .001941

%

33 12 36 8 20 22 60 32 24 80 60 95 24 28 64 20 0 21 56 25 44 23 12 14 23

32 20 28 12 15 68 80 0 8 50 30 12 65 24 56 56 52 50 40 52 41 20 8 28 20

par 0.18 mm

22.1 17.1 18.8 20.2 17.0 18.5 16.6 18.7 17.6 20.0 20.7 18.4 19.6 18.0 19.9 20.7 20.5 19.7 17.1 19.2 23.5 18.9 19.3 19.3 21.2

18.0 20.1 18.8 19.0 20.0 21.2 19.0 20.5 22.9 21.0 19.9 19.4 19.8 18.6 19.6 18.5 18.2 21.1 20.0 18.4 21.4 17.6 21.3 19.5 20.4

HAIR OF AUSTRALIAR ABORIGINES

TABLE a Data from hair samples of Pirrbala subjects according to age

655

~~ ~

MEDULLA SOALE INCIDSNCE OOUNT BUBJEOT AGB roEx COLOR INDEX

209 210 176 143 223 174 161 132 137 130 131 135 160 144 171 229 162 163 164 141 140 205 127 166 134

123 220 227 107 124 148 215 228 115 121 105 213 217 120 118 119 207 113 111 122 117 224 218 216 226

YSarS

8 9 10 14 16 17 18 19 19 20 23 24 25 27 27 33 35 37 37 37 37 45 47 47 60

8 9 10 11 11 11 12 12 16 16 18 20 21 22 27 27 33 35 37 37 40 43 47 63 63

S S B B B D C B B B D D C B B C C B D B D B D C C

8 S S B S S B B C D B B B C C C B C c B S D B C B

X X X X Y X Y W X X Y W Y Y W X X X X X Y X X X X

Y X Y Y X Y Y Y Y Y X Y Y Y Y Y Y X Y Y X Y Y Y Y

Males 82.3 73.2 77.2 63.4 66.4 66.4 64.9 66.4 77.7 69.3 63.8 64.9 67.6 71.7 75.8 67.2 60.6 66.7 68.8 69.6 52.7 65.3 65.4 54.5 56.9

Females 72.0 75.8 72.5 72.1 60.2 63.4 73.7 67.2 63.1 66.9 74.0 67.7 65.0 60.9 69.7 69.8 56.7 63.0 67.6 63.9 80.8 62.1 58.6 82.6 65.9

mm'

.002808

.003643

.003416

.005606

.005799

.003085

.005116

.003794

.005532

.003657

.005594

.003526

.006564

.002980

.004119

.004828

.006257

.004226

.003788

.003832

.003316

.003555

.004144

.005626

.004486

,004110 . 0 0 2 8 8 9 .003281 .003543 .003389 .003184 .002738 .003239 .005654 .004983 .002612 .005153 .003563 .005405 .004297 .003734 .003010 .003371 .003451 .003973 .002887 .004107 .002889 .002771 .003024

%

44 56 68 92 72 28 80 64 44 24 36 76 52 96 32 64 68 68 72 48 92 64 40 100 96

64 39 48 84 42 28 28 36 41 52 12 80 48 64 52 56 36 10 76 70 36 92 56 40 72

Per 0.16 mm

19.7 20.1 19.4 20.0 19.1 22.8 21.5 18.3 19.1 19.2 21.2 18.8 21.0 19.9 19.6 19.4 21.1 19.2 20.6 15.8 19.7 19.2 18.8 19.7 20.8

18.8 21.3 18.1 20.4 21.1 21.3 19.2 18.6 21.2 21.5 20.9 19.4 19.9 20.5 20.4 18.1 19.4 21.0 19.5 20.2 20.1 20.2 21.2 19.7 20.5

656 M. TROTTER, 0. H. DUGQINS AND F. M. SETZLER

The number of scales per unit distance is remarkably uni- form for all three groups as well as between the sexes of each group.

Observations and measurements of the hair of each subject are recorded in tables 1, 2, and 3.

TABLE 3

Data from hair samples of Milingimbi subjects according to age

SUBJECT

189 202 199 188 185 200 186

195 198 194 192 191 197 190 201 196 193

AQl

5 5 12 15 21 30 57

POBY COLOB INDEX

v W W Y Y m Y

5 B \V 8 D X 9 B w 11 B X 17 D X 22 B Y 23 C X 27 D W 33 I3 X 35 B X

Males 75.8 66.1 74.8 62.4 62.4 62.5 70.2

Females 71.4 52.5 62.0 54.6 65.0 65.8 62.9 66.5 65.9 06.1

AREA

mm'

.002717

.002966

.002381

.003191

.004357

.003962

.003803

.003279

.003303

.002413

.002919

.004718

.003004

.003303

.003349

.002663

.003251

MEDULLA INCIDENCE

SCALE COUST

%

60 56 44 92 72 44 56

64 64 56 84 100 36 76 72 40 100

Per 0.16 mm

19.1 20.5 21.0 17.6 18.0 20.6 16.5

21.2 19.7 20.2 18.9 18.0 18.0 19.0 20.8 17.9 18.8

DISCUSSION

The Australian aborigines from the localities of Groote Eylandt, Yirrkala and Milingimbi have hair which is similar in form, color and scale count, compares closely in index and area, but is quite different in incidence of medullation.

Hair samples representing the three major races were selected for comparison with the hair of dustralian aborigines. The Caucasoid samples were taken from a collection made in Saint Louis in 1928; the Mongoloid samples were obtained

HAIB OF AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES 657

from Chinese students attending the University of Wisconsin in 1922 ; and the Negroid hair samples were collected in North- ern Zululand, South Africa in 1913-14 by V. Siik. Certain observations on the American White series have been reported in 1930 by the senior author. The data for the Chinese and South African series are taken from a study in progress (Trotter and Duggins).

The most frequently occurring form and color and the average index, area., incidence of medullation and scale count may be summarized for the three groups of Australian aborigines and for the representatives of the three major races as follows:

x:z::T YIEEXALA YILINQIMBI CAUOASOID XONQOLOID NBQSOID

Form wavy wavy wavy wavy straight kinky

Color brown- brown- brown- brown brown- brown- black black black black black

Index 71 67 66 74 80 55

Area (mm’) .0036 .0041 .0032 .0033 .0060 .0031

Medulla incidence (% ) 35 57 66 36 73 26

Scale count (per 0.16 mm) 20 20 19 21 21 20

It may be noted that the characteristics of Caucasoid hair (except color) fall in the range between Mongoloid and Ne- groid. The form of the hair of Australian aborigines is wavy like that of Caucasoids but the color is brownblack like that of Mongoloids and Negroids. The index lies between that of the Mongoloid and Negroid as does also the index of the Caucasoid ; however, the index of the Australian aborigines is somewhat lower than the index of the Caucasoid suggesting that the wavy form extends from Caucasoid toward Negroid rather than toward Mongoloid. The area or size of the hair approximates the Caucasoid but extends toward the Mongo- loid rather than the Negroid. The incidence of medullation is higher than in the Negroid series and lower than in the

658 M. TROTTER, 0. H. DUGGINS AND F. M. SETZLER

Mongoloid series; the Groote Eylandt subjects are like the Caucasoids in this character while the Yirrkala and Milin- gimbi show a considerably higher incidence of medullatioa The scale count differs so slightly among the three major races and also among the three groups of Australian aborigines that the differences cannot be considered to be significant ; the indication is, however, that the Australian aborigines are like Negroids with some tendency toward an even lower scale count.

The evidence suggests that hair of Australian aborigines is more nearly like the hair of Caucasoids (except in color) than of either Mongoloids or Negroids ; that the size or area of cross section and incidence of medullation extend toward the Mongoloid type ; and that index or shape or cross section extends toward the Negroid type. The dermatoglyphics (palm and fmger prints) of the Australian aborigines (Groote Eylandt and Yirrkala) have been studied by Cmmins and Setzler ( '51). The index of pattern intensity (a measure of complexity) established a new high among known popula- tions. Unlike the dermatoglyphics of the Australian aborigines the characteristics of their hair fall within the range of the three major races.

LITERATURE CITED

BIBDSELL, J. B. 1949 The racial origin of the extinct Tasmanians. Bee. Queen Vie. Mus., 8 (3): 105-122.

CUMYINS, HAROLD, AND FRANK M. SETZLEE 1951 Dermatoglyphics in Australian aborigines (Arnhem Land). Am. J. Phys. Anthrop., n.8. 9: 455-460.

DUOOINS, OLIVER H., AND MILDRED TROTTEE Age changes in head hair from birth to maturity. 11. Medullation in hair of children. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop., 11.8. 8: 399-415.

FISHER, E., AND K. SALLEB 1928 Eine neue Haarfarbentafel. Anthrop. Am., 5 : 238-244.

HOOTON, E. A. HOWELLS, W. W.

1950

1931 Up from the Ape. N. Y., 605 pp. 1937 Anthropometry of the natives of Arnhem Land and the

Australian race problem. Papers of the Peabody Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University. 26 (no.2) : 1-97.

MARTIN, RUDOLF 1928 Lehrbuch der Anthropologie. 2 ed., Jena, v. 1, 213-214. TEOTTER, MILDRED The form, size, and color of head hair in American

whites. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop., 24: 433-445. 1930

HAIB OF AUSTRALIAN ABOBIGINES 659

MILDBED, AND OLIVEB H. DUQQINS 1948 Age changes in head hair from birth to maturity. I. Index and size of hair of children. Am. J. Phys. Anthr. op., 11.8. 6: 489-506.

1950 111. Cuticular scale counts of hair of children. Am. J. Phys. Anthrop., n.8, 8: 467-484.