Aetid
Group Negritid
- common
- occasional
- rare
Description
Ancient type found in the mountains of the Philippine islands of Luzon, Mindandao and Palawan. Probably developed during the Paleolithic. Similar to Semangid. Rare today, usually mixed. Only a few thousand typical individuals remain. Dominant in the original people of Aeta, Ati, Batak and Mamanwa. Occasionally on the Lesser Sunda Islands (esp. East Flores). Loss of culture and forest destruction may wipe out this unique type soon.
Physical traits
Dark brown skin and kinky hair. Very short, ectomorph, mesoskelic. Meso- brachycephalic, mildly hypsicranic, small-headed with a flattened, mesorrhine nose. The face is wide and boxy, the lips concave and relatively thick, cheekbones prominent, chin weak, bodies often hairy, the forehead relatively steep, especially in women. Prognathism is usually absent.
Literature
Detailed investigations by Reed (1904) and Wastl (1957). The type was defined by Giuffrida-Ruggeri (1912) and named Aetid/Aëtid by Eickstedt (1937, 1952) and Knussmann (1996) or Negrito Philippine by Alexeev, 1979. Biasutti (1967) grouped them in Semang-Aeta, others (Cole, 1965; Lundman, 1967) simply as Negritid.
