Description:
South Indian type, found in its purest form in Tamil Nadu and Northern Sri Lanka, called Melanid according to its dark skin tone (melanin). Typical for Tamils, mixed in Periya, sometimes other Indian people. The medieval Chola invasion even brought it to Malaysia and Sumatra. It is linked to the Kolid type farther North.Physical Traits:
Dark brown skin, darker than Veddids, except for Malids. Curly to wavy hair. Rather short, mesoskelic, ectomorph, sometimes endo- mesomorph. Dolicho-mesocephalic, ortho- or mildly hypsicranic, small-headed. Mesorrhine, sometimes mildly platyrrhine, triangular nose. The face is high and angular with a relatively large jaw and full lips. Overall features are Caucasoid, despite the dark skin.Literature:
During his expeditions Eickstedt (1929) defined the type as Karnatid ( 1937, 1952c). Cole (1965) and Lundman (1967) adopted the name (Indo-)Melanid. Drexel (1955) used Tamild - a Dravidid subtype, Biasutti (1967) Tamil - a Paleo Indid subtype, Vallois (1971) Melano-Indian. The Dravidian type (Risley, 1915; Coon et al. 1950) is partially synonymous to Indo Melanid, but may include other (e.g. Indid) elements.
