Study of the cranial (cephalic) and facial (prosopic) indexes of Ukwuani indigenes in Nigeria

Abstract

It is noted that the head and face shapes of humans from different ethnic groups vary markedly. The cause of these variations has been attributed to several environmental factors. Measurements of these indexes become a necessity to prove that individuals from a particular ethnic group have similar head and face forms.
The present study was aimed at measuring the cephalic and prosopic indexes of Ukwuani indigenes of Delta State.
A total of 315 subjects (165 males and 150 females) were selected by simple random sampling and were measured for their cranial and facial lengths and breath and the respective indexes were calculated.
Males had a mean prosopic index of 99.15 whereas females had a marginally lower mean prosopic index of 94.54, both belonged to the hyperleptoprosopic facial group and observed differences between both genders were statistically not significant (P = 0.25) The mean cranial index in males and females was 80.21 and 79.04, respectively, both belonged to the mesocephalic cranial group and observed differences between both genders were statistically significant (P = 0.01).
There was no statistically significant gender difference with regards to prosopic index but with regards to cephalic index the observed gender difference was statistically significant.
Key words: Cephalic index, hyperleptoprosopic, mesocephalic, prosopic index

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71
© 2017 Annals of Bioanthropology | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow
Studyofthecranial(cephalic)andfacial(prosopic)
indexesofUkwuaniindigenesinNigeria
Abstract
Background: It is noted that the head and face shapes of humans from different ethnic groups
vary markedly. The cause of these variations has been attributed to several environmental
factors. Measurements of these indexes become a necessity to prove that individuals from
a particular ethnic group have similar head and face forms. Aim: The present study was
aimed at measuring the cephalic and prosopic indexes of Ukwuani indigenes of Delta State.
Materials and Method: A total of 315 subjects (165 males and 150 females) were selected by
simple random sampling and were measured for their cranial and facial lengths and breath
and the respective indexess were calculated. Results: Males had a mean prosopic index of
99.15 whereas females had a marginally lower mean prosopic index of 94.54, both belonged
to the hyperleptoprosopic facial group and observed differences between both genders were
statistically not significant (P = 0.25) The mean cranial index in males and females was 80.21
and 79.04, respectively, both belonged to the mesocephalic cranial group and observed
differences between both genders were statistically significant (P = 0.01). Conclusion: There
was no statistically significant gender difference with regards to prosopic index but with
regards to cephalic index the observed gender difference was statistically significant.
Key words: Cephalic index, hyperleptoprosopic, mesocephalic, prosopic index
Ugochukwuka Ojieh,
Mamerhi Enaohwo,
Abimbola Ebeye
Department of Anatomy and Cell
Biology, Delta State University, Abraka,
Delta State, Nigeria
Address for correspondence:
Mr. Ugochukwuka Ojieh,
Department of Anatomy and Cell
Biology, Delta State University,
P. M. B. 1, Abraka,
Delta State, Nigeria.
E-mail: ojiehu5@gmail.com
Cephalometry is a useful tool in individual identication
and it is also useful to cosmetic surgeons during the
process of facial reconstructive surgery.[2] It also helps
by giving a baseline data which can be taken into
consideration when designing facial equipment such as
goggles and masks.[5]
Although studies of this type have been carried out in
neighbouring ethnic groups,[6,7] no such study, to the best of
our knowledge has been carried out on the Ukwuani ethnic
group in Delta State, Nigeria.
The major aim of this research was therefore to study the
head and face forms of the Ukwuani indigenes of Delta
State and create a baseline data which would be useful in
future researches.
INTRODUCTION
Measurements in anthropometry serve as viable means
through which variations in human body dimensions
can be eectively observed for studies. It is observed that
morphological features of dierent races are not randomly
distributed but appear in geographical clusters.[1] These
variations are caused by various environmental, ecological,
biological, racial and nutritional factors.[2] The start of
physical anthropometry can most probably be aributed
to the increased interest in racial classification which
entails measurement of the human body dimensions.[3,4]
Cephalometry is a branch of anthropometry that is largely
conned to human head measurements.[3] It is made up
of two indexes which are the cephalic (cranial) and the
prosopic (facial) indexes. These indexes are important
parameters, useful in anthropological studies for
ascertaining variations.[2]
How to cite this article: Ojieh U, Enaohwo M, Ebeye A. Study of
the cranial (cephalic) and facial (prosopic) indexes of Ukwuani
indigenes in Nigeria. Ann Bioanthropol 2016;4:71-4.
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DOI:
10.4103/2315-7992.204686
Original article
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Ojieh, et al.: Cranial and facial indexes in Ukwuanis
72 Annals of Bioanthropology | Volume 4 | Issue 2 | July-December 2016
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The Ukwuani and Aboh ethnic groups make the Ndokwa
of today and together they inhabit the area of the Niger
Delta approximately lying within longitude 6°6’ and 6°41’.[8]
Both groups inhabit Ukwuani, Ndokwa West and Ndokwa
East Local Government Areas of Delta State in Nigeria, with
the Ukwuani being the larger of both ethnic groups and
inhabiting the rst two local government areas, i.e. Ukwuani
and Ndokwa West.[9]
Although the Ukwuani people can be found in parts of
both delta and rivers states of Nigeria, the Ukwuani in this
contest are those solely of delta state origin.
In this study, 315 volunteered subjects (165 male and
150 female) who are indigenes of Ukwuani and Ndokwa
West Local Government Areas of Delta State were selected
randomly. They were conrmed to be from the Ukwuani
ethnic group by both their parents and their grandparents.
Their ages ranged from 18 to 30 years. Subjects with facial
or cranial deformities and subjects with hairstyles who did
not allow for eective measurement were excluded from
the survey. Measurements were taken with the subjects
siing down in a relaxed mood and with his head in an
anatomical position. Careful palpations were ensured
before measurements were carried out. The following
measurements were taken:
• Cranial length – Glabella to inion
• Cranial breadth – Distance between parietal eminences
• Facial length – Nasion to gnathion
• Facial breadth – Distance between zygomatic arches.
The cephalic and prosopic index were calculated based on
the International Anatomical Descriptions.[2] By this, the
respective indexes were given by the following formulas:
Cranialbreadth
Cephalicindex = × 100
Craniallength
Faciallength
Prosopic index = × 100
Facialbreadth
The cephalic and prosopic indexes were grouped according
to the anatomical basis of facial and cranial phenotyping
[Tables 1 and 2].[5]
Statistical analysis was carried out on the data using the IBM
Corp, IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0. Armonk,
NY:IBM Corp and included frequencies and percentages.
T-test was used to test for any statistical dierences.
RESULTS
Results showed the mean cephalic indexes for males and
females to be 80.21 ± 5.77 and 79.04 ± 4.38, respectively,
and the mean prosopic indexes to be 99.15 ± 6.11 and
94.54 ± 9.89 with males having larger values for both
indexes. A statistically signicant dierence was observed
between male and female cephalic indexes (P = 0.01), but
this was not the case between the male and female prosopic
indexes (P = 0.25), using a 95% condence interval [Table 3].
Based on the cephalic phenotypes, results showed that
the population was majorly mesocephalic with 44.2% and
44% of males and females having that head shape and the
least occurring head shape being the hyperbrachicephalic
head with 12.7% and 10% of males and females having that
shape [Table 4].
Prosopic phenotypes showed a largely hyperleptoprosopic
population with 75.2% and 43.3% of males and females
having this face type and the rarest type being the
hypereuryprosopic face type with 0% and 0.7% occurrence
in males and females [Table 5].
DISCUSSION
Anthropometric studies on cephalic and prosopic indexes
have shown that most Africans, Indians, Australians, North
Americans, and Central Europeans have the dolicocephalic
head form, whereas people from the Middle East have the
mesocephalic head form.[2,10,11]
Table 1: Cranial types based on cephalic index
Cephalic phenotype Cephalic index
Dolichoceohalic ≤70-74.9
Mesocephalic 75-79.9
Brachicephalic 80-84.9
Hyperbrachicephalic ≥85-89.9
Table 2: Facial types based on prosopic index
Facial phenotype Prosopic index
Hypereuryprosopic ≤75-79.9
Euryprosoopic 80-84.9
Mesoprosopic 85-89.9
Leptoprosopic 90-94.9
Hyperleptoprosopic ≥95
Table 3: Parameters measured and their values
Parameters measured Males=165 Females=150
Cranial length 18.67±0.82 18.09±0.69
Cranial breadth 14.73±0.66 14.22±0.63
Facial length 12.32±0.74 11.97±0.65
Facial breadth 12.56±0.73 12.59±0.61
Cephalic index 80.21±5.77 79.04±4.38
Prosopic index 99.15±6.11 94.54±9.89
Results represented as mean±standard deviation
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Ojieh, et al.: Cranial and facial indexes in Ukwuanis
73
Annals of Bioanthropology | Volume 4 | Issue 2 | July-December 2016
In the present study, the mean cephalic index for males
and females was 80.21 ± 5.77 and 79.04 ± 4.38, respectively.
The results from our study differed from those of
other studies among other ethnic groups. Indigenes of
Maiduguri Northern Nigeria had an index of 71.90 and
73.92 for males and females, respectively,[2] among the
Ogbia tribe of Bayelsa State, it was 73.68 and 72.24,[12]
Urhobos had an index of 78.04, Edos 78.21 and Ibos were
reported to have an index of 77.63.[6] Indians had a mean
cephalic index of 72.64 and 72.06 for males and females,[13]
in Northern Brazil, it was 80.93 and in Southern Brazil,
the index was 79.68,[14] Iranians had an index of 84.80,[15]
whereas South Africans were reported to have an index
of 80.29.[16]
The most common head shape observed in this study
was the mesocephalic head shape. This result buresses
the thought that variation occurs with regards to cranial
phenotypic distribution among various populations. Studies
among the Ogbia tribe of Bayelsa showed the population to
be majorly dolicocephalic,[12] Indians were also reported to
be mostly dolicocephalic[13] while Brazilians, Iranians, and
South Africans were brachicephalic.[14-16]
Our results, however, agreed with the results of studies
on the Urhobos, Edos, and Ijaws, all of which were
mesocephalic.[6]
With regards to facial indexes, the mean facial index of
the male and females population was 99.15 ± 6.11 and
94.54 ± 9.89, respectively. These values showed some degree
of variations from values of indexes from other tribes.
Studies among the Fars and Turkman in Iran showed their
prosopic index to be 74.3 and 81.6, respectively,[17] Bini
people of Nigeria had 86.93,[18] Indian males and females
had an index of 87.19 and 86.75, respectively, whereas
Malaysian males and females had indexes of 85.72 and
87.91, respectively.[19]
Our results, however, fell within the same range with results
of indigenes of Maiduguri whose prosopic indexes were
99.59 and 97.54 for males and females, respectively.[2]
The most common facial type among the Ukwuani indigenes
in this present study was the hyperleptoprosopic type, and
this also proved the theory of variations in facial phenotypic
ratios among ethnic groups. Indians and Malaysians were
shown to be mesoprosopic,[19] whereas the Fars group in
Iran were shown to be hypereuriprosopic.[15]
This study has investigated the cephalic and prosopic
indexes of the Ukwuanis in Delta State and has determined
the most dominant cranial and facial forms among males
and females within this ethnic group. The study has also
shown that a statistically significant difference exists
between the cephalic indexes of males and females, but none
exists between their respective prosopic indexes.
Data goen from this study can serve as a baseline for
anthropologists, aid in local anthropometric evaluations,
and serve as a baseline line with which comparisons can
be made between the Ukwuani and other ethnic groups.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conicts of interest
There are no conicts of interest.
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Table 4: Distribution of head shapes among the
study population
Phenotypes Males Females
Head shapes
Brachicephalic 45 (27.3) 44 (29.3)
Dolichocephalic 26 (15.8) 25 (16.7)
Hyperbrachicephalic 21 (12.7) 15 (10.0)
Mesocephalic 73 (44.2) 66 (44.0)
Results represented as n (%)
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Phenotypes Males Females
Face shapes
Euryprosopic 2 (1.2) 8 (5.3)
Hypereuryprosopic 0 (0) 1 (0.7)
Hyperleptoprosopic 124 (75.2) 65 (43.3)
Leptoprosopic 28 (17.0) 47 (31.3)
Mesoprosopic 11 (6.7) 29 (19.3)
Results represented as
n
(%)
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74 Annals of Bioanthropology | Volume 4 | Issue 2 | July-December 2016
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