Description:
Contact group between Indid and Veddid, mostly concentrated in the Indian subcontinent. Features appear overall Caucasian, the hair is wavy, the root of the triangular nose relatively high and wider than in Indids, lips not very thick. However, the skin is very dark brown, often even darker than in Veddids. The name derives from "melanin". Overall, morphological affinities to Ethiopids exist. Probably developed in the agricultural populations of India when early Caucasoids pushed back older Veddids. The southern Karnatid variety concentrated in Tamil Nandu is usually regarded as the most typical representative. In Jharkhand and West Bengal, a northern Kolid variety has been identified with more angular, slightly Gondoid features. Indo Melanids play an important role in modern Indians, in small numbers Roma and Sinti brought Indo Melanid admixture to Europe several centuries ago.Names:
Indomelanid (Eickstedt, 1929, 1934, 1952; Lundman, 1967, 1988), Mélano-Indienne (Vallois, 1968), Paleoindid (Biasutti, 1967), Southern Indian (Cheboksarov, 1951, Cole, 1965; Alexeev, 1979) Dravidian (Coon et al., 1950), Indo-Dravidian (Hooton, 1946), Indiénne melaniénne type leptorrhinien (Deniker, 1899).
