Evaluation of Race by Cranial Index of Adult Human Skull in Maharastra Population

Biologists and physical anthropologists attempted to classify human being into races according to phenotypic variations. The latter are based either on one or two phenotypic characters therefore the outcome is unable to givq clear distinction among different races. Cranial index seems to be an important,tool, which may be used to identify the races in different geographical regions. 75 dried skulls collected from different part of Maharashtra were measured to determine the cranial index. Skulls were classified by the method of Montagu (1960)2 Average maximum cranial length and breadth were found to be 17.11 cm and 12.98 cm respectively and maximum & minimum cranial lengths were observed to be 18.50 and 16.60 cm and cranial breadths were noted to be 14.50 and 12.10 cm respectively. Average cranial index (mean ± SD) was 75.49 ± 3.95. In our study most of the skulls were grouped under the Mesocranial (46.66%) and Dolichocranial (42.66%) categorises when based on Montagu and Dolichocranial categorises when 56% based Comas'. As per the conclusion Maharashtrian population belongs to Indo-Dravidian race.