Physical Anthropology of the Nicobarese

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In the year 1960, when employed as Research Associate at the Andaman and Nicobar Station of the Anthropological Survey of India, Port Blair, I had the opportunity to carry out field investigations on the physical anthropology of the inhabitants of Nicobar Islands. The following pages are the result of an attempt to analyse and interpret the metric and observational data collected during that period. The interpretation of the material has been aided by the blood group data obtained by others from the same area. My main scientific concern has been the problem of the racial status of the Nicobarese and their relation to the neighbouring peoples of Southeast Asia. Special attention has also been given to the local morphological variations and sexual variations found among the Nicobarese.

I am particularly grateful to Dr B. K. Chatterjee, Anthropological Secretary to the Asiatic Society, Calcutta, for inspiring the work and general guidance. I am also greatly indebted to Professor Late N. K. Bose and Late Dr D. K. Sen, the ex-Directors of the Anthropological Survey of India, for encouragement and important criticisms, to Mr H. K. Rakshit for many wise and helpful suggestions, to Messrs D. P. Mukherjee and H. K. Nag for advice and assistance in statistical matters, and to Mr R. N. Chaudhury for giving much needed help with the manuscript.

**Contents and Sample Pages**