Description:
Australid subtype with proto-Caucasiform features associated with the people of the Murray basin of Southeastern Australia. Originally the most numerous Australid type, European settlers colonised the fertile lands of the South-East first and pushed back the natives. Today almost extinct in pure form, many mixed individuals remain. Was typical for Wiradjuri, Darling, Narungga, Wirangu, and related people.Physical Traits:
Medium to dark reddish-brown skin with wavy to tight-curly brown or black hair. Medium height, brachyskelic, mesomorph. Dolichocephalic, sometimes mesocephalic, chamae- orthocranic and large-headed. Nose platyrrhine, but relatively high and long. Face even more massive and robust than in other Australids. Supraorbital arches strong, deep-set eyes, forehead and chin receding, prognathy common, body hair strong.Literature:
The type was identified as Murrayian by Birdsell (1942), who speculated about relationships to Ainu. The type was adopted as Murra(y/i)an by other authors (Hooton, 1946; Coon et al, 1950; Cole, 1965). Lundman (1967, 1988) named it South Australid / Murrayid. Biasutti (1967) separated it as the Murray subrace.
