A Racial Study of the Fijians Part 9

Eye opening height is preponderately moderate (91 per cent). The remaining 10 per cent with one exception show submedium eye opening.

Regional variation is not great. The eastern and interior groups have a little higher frequency in the submedium cla.s.s.

FOREHEAD

_Brow Ridges_

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

Fiji I 0 0 148 19 364 44 295 36 6 1 813 Interior 0 0 16 10 69 45 64 42 4 3 153 East 0 0 28 23 42 35 50 42 0 0 120 Coast 0 0 42 20 99 47 67 32 1 0 209 N.W. 0 0 19 24 40 51 19 24 1 1 79

Brow ridges are a marked feature of Fijians in general. None of them lack some supraorbital development. Forty-four per cent have medium brow ridges, 36 per cent are p.r.o.nounced, and 1 per cent are very p.r.o.nounced.

The other 19 per cent are small. The interior and eastern groups share a little higher incidence of p.r.o.nounced brow ridges; the other regions are nearer the total distribution of variations.

_Forehead Height_

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

Fiji I 0 0 444 55 369 45 0 0 813 Interior 0 0 90 59 63 41 0 0 153 East 0 0 68 57 52 43 0 0 120 Coast 0 0 110 53 99 47 0 0 209 N.W. 0 0 46 58 33 42 0 0 79

_Forehead Slope_

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

Fiji I 8 1 280 34 460 56 65 8 813 Interior 0 0 53 35 87 57 13 8 153 East 0 0 38 32 72 60 10 8 120 Coast 4 2 78 37 113 54 14 7 209 N.W. 2 3 27 34 47 59 4 4 79 Tonga 1 1 70 60 45 39 0 0 116

Forehead height is submedium in more than half the cases (55 per cent); the others are all medium. There is no significant variation among the subgroups.

A sloping forehead is quite characteristic of the Fijian head; 56 per cent are moderately sloping, 8 per cent are p.r.o.nounced, and 34 per cent are submedium. Only 1 per cent have foreheads with no recession.

Regional differences are very slight.

NOSE

_Nasion Depression_

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

Fiji I 1 0 170 21 579 71 63 8 813 Interior 0 0 41 27 103 67 9 6 153 East 1 1 32 27 85 71 2 2 120 Coast 0 0 45 22 144 69 10 10 209 N.W. 0 0 18 23 56 71 6 6 79

_Root Height_

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

Fiji I 1 0 63 8 555 67 194 24 813 Interior 0 0 16 10 96 63 41 27 153 East 1 1 3 3 77 64 39 33 120 Coast 0 0 10 5 157 75 42 20 209 N.W. 0 0 4 5 57 72 18 23 79

_Root Breadth_

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

Fiji I 0 0 1 0 258 32 554 68 813 Interior 0 0 0 0 38 25 115 75 153 East 0 0 1 1 53 44 66 55 120 Coast 0 0 0 0 67 32 142 68 209 N.W. 0 0 0 0 24 30 55 70 79

_Nasal Septum_

Straight Concave Convex Total No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 777 99 0 0 36 4 813 Interior 153 100 0 0 0 0 153 East 118 98 0 0 2 2 120 Coast 196 94 0 0 13 6 199 N.W. 78 99 0 0 1 1 79

_Bridge Height_

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

Fiji I 0 0 54 7 644 79 115 14 813 Interior 0 0 13 8 124 81 16 10 153 East 0 0 1 1 98 82 21 18 120 Coast 0 0 10 5 173 83 26 12 209 N.W. 0 0 7 9 60 76 12 15 79 Tonga 0 0 21 22 81 70 9 8 111

_Bridge Breadth_

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

Fiji I 0 0 0 0 265 33 546 67 813 Interior 0 0 0 0 29 19 124 81 153 East 0 0 0 0 72 60 48 40 120 Coast 0 0 0 0 62 30 147 70 209 N.W. 0 0 0 0 23 29 56 71 79

_Nasal Profile_

Concave Straight Convex Total No. % No. % No. %

Fiji I 14 2 625 77 173 21 812 Interior 0 0 123 80 30 20 153 East 1 1 88 73 31 26 120 Coast 4 2 171 82 34 16 209 N.W. 1 1 59 75 19 24 79

Moderate nasion depression characterizes the majority of noses (71 per cent). p.r.o.nounced depression is recorded for 8 per cent, and submedium occurrence in 21 per cent. Only one individual lacks any depression.

This distribution does not vary much among the provinces.

A well-elevated nasal root is also characteristic; 67 per cent show moderate elevation and 24 per cent p.r.o.nounced, whereas 8 per cent are submedium; one individual is without any elevation. The interior Fijians have a little higher frequency of low nasal root (10 per cent), whereas the eastern people, with a 30 per cent incidence, excel in the p.r.o.nounced category.

More striking is the breadth of the Fijian nasal root. It is p.r.o.nounced in 68 per cent and moderate in the remainder of the series. p.r.o.nounced breadth is commoner among the interior people (75 per cent) and least preponderant in the east (55 per cent).

The nasal septum is nearly always straight; the only departure from this condition is a 4 per cent incidence of convexity. Regional differences are not significant.

Nasal bridge height is commonly medium (79 per cent) in the totality of noses. Fourteen percent are p.r.o.nouncedly high and 7 per cent are submedium. The several provinces do not depart very far from this distribution.

The Fijian nose shows a strong tendency to broadness of the bridge.

Two-thirds show p.r.o.nounced breadth of bridge and the remainder are medium. p.r.o.nounced broadness increases in the interior groups (81 per cent) and shows a marked decline in the east (40 per cent).

Nasal profiles are most often straight (77 per cent), but convex noses are not uncommon (21 per cent). Convexity is slightly more frequent in the east (26 percent), whereas in the coastal people its incidence drops to 16 per cent.

_Nasal-Tip Thickness_

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

Fiji I 1 0 344 42 461 58 1 0 812 Interior 0 0 55 36 98 64 0 0 153 East 1 1 80 67 39 33 0 0 120 Coast 0 0 94 45 114 55 1 1 209 N.W. 0 0 27 34 52 66 0 0 79