Description:
Melanesid subtype of New Guinea. Found especially in lowlands and river plains, with its highest concentration in the south of the island. More common in Papuan speakers. Also in the Torres Strait, Ceram, Halmahera, East Flores, Aru, and North Australia. Has recently been pushed into minority status in Western New Guinea.Physical Traits:
Dark brown, sometimes medium brown skin. Tight-curly hair that is red or blonde in rare cases. Height variable, often medium-tall, ectomorph to mesomorph, brachyskelic, long arms. Mesocephalic, sometimes dolichocephalic, mildly hypsicranic. Mildly platyrrhine or mesorrhine, long, high-rooted, convex, fleshy, sometimes Assyriform nose. Lips relatively thick, but not bulging. Finer features than in Mountain Melanesids. Deep-set eyes, chin receding, occasionally prognathous, body hair moderate.Literature:
Called Neo Melanesid by Eickstedt (1934), Speiser (1938), Weinert (1965), Knussmann (1996), among others. Biasutti (1941, 1952) named it Papuasid, part of Papua-Melanesid (Biasutti, 1967), Hooton (1946), Vallois (1971) and Debets (1974) Papuan. Lundman (1967) defined Papuid as a mixed of Nesiotid, Bukaid and Australid.
