Full Length Research Paper

Patterns of cephalic indexes in three West African populations

Odokuma, E. I.¹*, Akpuaka, F. C.², Igbigbi, P. S.¹, Otuaga, P. O.¹ and Ejebe, D.³

¹Department of Anatomy, Delta State University, Abraka Nigeria.

²Department of Anatomy, Abia State University Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria.

³Department of Pharmacology, Delta State University, Abraka Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: secretfilesl800@yahoo.com. Tel: 2348035658134.

Abbreviations: CI, Cephalic index; L, maximum head length; B, maximum head breadth.

Accepted 29 January, 2010

   Abstract

Several craniometric studies involving Caucasian, Mongoloid and Americans have been conducted and its usefulness in facilitating proper identification of skeletal remains and in emphasizing a common origin of studied populations cannot be overemphasized. This study involved 699 (male 361; female 338) volunteer students of Delta State University whose age ranged 18 years and over. Respondents were selected along three ethnic groups including Urhobo (male 156; female 147), Ibo (male 141; female 145) and Edo (male 64; female 46). The mean cephalic index (CI) between the sampled populations was 77.95 ± 4.34 cm. There was an observed significant effect of age on cephalic index (p < 0.01) but gender showed no significant effects on cephalic index. The values for the three selected tribes did not differ significantly from one another nor differ from the population mean (p < 0.05). The mean male and female CI values were 77.67 and 78.14 cm, respectively. The Cephalic index patterns of three indigenous West African ethnic groups (Urhobo, Edo and Ibo) was presented in this study highlighting certain features common to West African and perhaps African populations. It was shown that Cephalic index were significant indices for differentiation of population groups and cultures. In spite of these observations, differences which enable intracultural differentiation commonly occur as exhibited by the craniometric pattern in this study. Inevitably therefore, craniometric studies are most essential in the study of population dynamics especially with respect to quantitative variables.

Key words: Cephalic, mesocephalic, gender, culture, West Africa.