Anthropometric Study of Sub-ethnic Groups of the Kalmyks

Abstract

The article deals with the analysis of anthropometric materials collected from three regions of Kalmykia as well as morphological characteristics, somatologic features, epochal changes of morphological attributes. Sub-ethnic groups of Kalmyks, both men and women, can be differentiated with a different degree of certainty regarding body length and weight, transverse skeletal dimensions, chest, waist, shoulder and arm proportions, skinfold thickness, head and face dimensions. Men from Buzava ethnic group have the largest body size - i.e. macrosomia, the Derbets are characterized by microsomia and the Torghuts in their somatic status occupy intermediate position. A similar tendency in body dimensions can be observed among women, except body length among Buzava women. According to the head and face dimensions the subgroups differentiate as follows: the largest head size was observed among Buzava Kalmyks while the Derbets have larger values of cephalic index and the Torghuts are characterized by the lowest values of cephalic index. Buzava men have the widest faces while the Torguts the narrowest. The Derbet women have wide cheekbones and smaller faces. Secular variations of body length and head dimension over the past 40 years are common to all ethnic subgroups of Kalmyks and may be explained by different reasons - the influence of social and economic factors, acceleration and miscegenation processes.