The epigenetic variants of the skulls in some ancient and recent Italian populations

Abstract

In the present paper some minor non-metrical variants of the skull in different Italian populations are considered and compared with the same variants of a Roman group, of an Etruscan group and of a North American Indian group. From the data presented, it seems that the major divergences are those found between the Indians and all the other populations examined. High divergences are also found between Romans (with few exceptions), Etruscans and the more recent Italian populations. As regards recent Italian populations, it seems that they are quite heterogeneous, i.e. possibly derived from different ancestral stocks of populations.