Twa-Cwa
- common
- occasional
- rare
Description
Pygmoid type of the Congo forests intermediate between Bambutid and Congolesid. Important groups in DR Congo are Mongo Cwa close to the Mai-Ndombe and Tumba Lakes, as well as Kasai Cwa of the Lomani River. Also typical in Ba Twa around Lake Kivu in Rwanda and Burundi. Mixed in other Pygmy and Congo populations.
Physical traits
Usually dark brown, sometimes light brown skin with peppercorn hair. Short, but taller than Bambutid with larger heads, mesoskelic with an ectomorph to mesomorph, sometimes hairy body with strong buttocks. Mesocephalic, orthocranic. (Hyper-)platyrrhine. Face short and broad, interorbital distance great, prognathy moderate.
Literature
Schebesta and Lebzelter (1933) as well as Schebesta and Gusinde (1949, 1956), included them in Twid. Biasutti (1967) defined them as a separate Non-Pygmy Ba Twa subrace, Cole (1965) as the Central Negrillo type. Eickstedt (1934) called them Central Bambutid and regarded them as Congolesid admixed. Analysed by Froment (1993). Modern research confirms Bantu admixture (Patin, 2009).
