The Proto-Uralic racial type

Some more information from the very interesting article previously referenced. The author studied 55 cranial samples of Uralic and other Eurasian populations based on a combination of metric and nonmetric traits.

"In biological anthropology, two principal hypotheses have been formulated. According to the first one [...] the biological features of the Uralians are basically a result of prolonged and extensive hybridization between various European and Siberian populations. If so, present linguistic affinities are solely due to the fact that Uralic languages, having spread from some center, were adopted by a number of unrelated peoples, much like the situation with Turkish languages. According to another theory [...] most modern Uralic groups have descended from a single population whose features survive in many of them despite hybridization with European and Siberian populations."

The authors subjected the metric variables to principal components analysis (PCA) and the nonmetric ones to canonical variate analysis (CVA):

Both the first vectors, PC1 and CV1, reveal a west-to-east gradient (traditionally referred to as "Caucasoid-to-Mongoloid") .

...

Although Uralians occupy very different positions on the west-to-east vector, Moksha Mordvinians, Suomi Finns, and Estonians being among the most "western" groups, and Nenets showing a strong eastern tendency, most of them were intermediate. This is a well-known fact which is compatible with either of the two competing hypotheses mentioned above. No doubt, hybridization was a very important factor in the population history of Uralic peoples. The question is, was it the only factor?

To answer this question, we must examine the second vectors, CV2 and PC2, which are orthogonal to the first ones. Here, the Uralians are highly specific rather than intermediate [...] Both vectors set most Uralic groups apart from others. As seen from tables 2 and 3, the "Uralic" trait combination includes an extremely high frequency of infraorbital pattern type II, and low frequency of sphenomaxillary suture (traits most highly correlated with PC2), a long and narrow brain case, low face and very small nasal projection angle (traits with the highest loadings on CV2). Notably in certain Ob Ugrian series, especially in the Khanty from the Lower Irtysh [...] as well as in the Salym and Balyk Khanty, the nasal bones are even flatter than in some Tungus groups, which are among the most flat-faced and flat-nosed in the world. [...]

This combination, which may be described as "Uralic", is quite unusual on a world scale. Utmost lack of proportionality in the expression of "eastern" and "western" traits speak against the purely hybrid nature of the Uralic groups.

...

Our results demonstrate that while hybridization was indeed the major factor in Uralic evolution, most Uralic-speaking groups possess a common and highly specific biological trait combination which differentiates them from any other northern Eurasian groups (or any other groups studied by us) and suggest that they have indeed descended from a single proto-Uralic population.

UPDATE

It is amazing how the data of physical anthropology harmonize with that drawn from human population genetics. According to the article:

The groups with the most pronounced "Uralic" trait combination are Ob Ugrians. Interestingly, this tendency is strongest in Khants, not in Mansi as previously believed.

And according to Lahermo (1999):

Aside from the Hungarians, the C allele of the Tat polymorphism was common in all the Finno-Ugric speaking populations (from 8.2% to 63.2%), with highest incidence in the Ob-Ugrian Khanty.

Lahermo et al., Eur J Hum Genet. 1999 May-Jun;7(4):447-58.

Posted by Dienekes at December 27, 2003 03:24 PM | PermaLink