Proto Ethiopid
Group Ethiopid
- common
- occasional
- rare
Description
Ancient type that inhabited the Southwestern Eritrean lowlands prior to the arrival of Ethiopids, and possibly resembles early "Out of Africa" types. Was still common from Kenya to Sudan during historic times. Some individuals may give a pseudo-Australoid impression. Occasionally found in Kunama and Nara, but also Amhara, Tigray-Tigrinya, rarer in Oromo, Beja, and others.
Physical traits
Dark, sometimes medium brown skin and kinky-curly hair. Medium height, brachyskelic, ectomorph to mesomorph. Dolichocephalic with robust, bony and elongated facial features, and often strong brow ridges, small-headed. The nose is straight with a relatively high back and depressed tip. Forehead sloping. Prognathism is relatively pronounced - in difference to other Ethiopids as well as Nilotids.
Literature
First named as described by Giuffrida-Ruggeri (1913) and later adopted by Biasutti (1935) as well as Puccioni and Grottanelli (1967). Lundman (1967) mentions Australoid features in Nara and Kunama, Coon (1939) Papuan features in Amhara.
