THE PROBLEM OF FORMATION OF POPULATION ANTHROPOLOGICAL STRUCTURE IN NORTHERN EUROPEAN RUSSIA USING DERMATOGLYPHICS DATA
The present study is based on results of principal components analysis of dermatoglyphical data including 56 local Russian and Finnish-speaking groups (men and women). The investigation is composed of two levels: ethnic and local (territorial). There are extracted two forms of Northern Caucasoid dermatoglyphical complexes. The first form is typical for the Ural-Laponoid groups and, probably Vepsians. The second form is presented in Eastern Finns, Karelians and Russians from Karelia. Statistically significant differences were found between Vepsian and Karelian peoples. This may serve as support for anthropological multiformity of Russian Eastern Baltic population. From the present study, as well as from some other studies on anthropological characteristics of the Northern Russians, it appears that Northern Russian-speaking population in reality is subdivided into different anthropological groups. It could be explained by the processes of Russian cultural assimilation of native (probably Finnish- and Sami-speaking groups initially) populations in this region. Studies based on female data show a picture of homogeneity in the local variations of some ethnic populations (especially Sami, Udmurts and Karelians).