Description:
Type of the West African Pygmies, that split from East Bambutid during the late Paleolithic. Shows a strong rainforest adaption. Historically more widespread, still found in the forests of Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, and Central African Republic. Typified by the Baka, Aka, Bongo, Gyele, and Kola. Loss of culture and forest destruction could make this unique type vanish forever soon.Physical Traits:
Medium to dark, sometimes light (yellowish) brown skin with (reddish) brown-black peppercorn hair. (Very) short, (hyper-) macroskelic, mesomorph, occasionally hairy body. Rarely steatopygic. Meso- brachycephalic, orthocranic, rather small-headed. (Hyper-)platyrrhine. Compared to East Bambutids bodies are taller, faces longer, nasal roots higher, and prognathy stronger.Literature:
Detailed studies were made by Lalouel (1950), Schebesta (1952) and Froment (1993). Gusinde (1950 called them western Twids. Eickstedt (1934) included them in Bambutid like Baker (1981) and Knussmann (1996). Biasutti (1967) separated the BaMbuti and the BaBinga group like Cole (1965), who called it the West Negrillo type. The split from East Bambutid occurred some 20k years ago (Patin, 2009).
