A Study of Numerical Taxonomy and Group Divergence in Seven Endogamous Groups of Assam

Anthropometric characters of seven endogamous groups, namely, the Muslim. Brahmin. Kalita. Kaibarta. Kumar. Jogi and Hira of Assam have been examined to study the numerical taxonomy and group divergence using the methodology of Penrose (1947, 1954) and Rao (1952). The study reveals three distinct clusters. Out of seven groups, the Brahmin and Muslim independently form two clustres i.e. B and C respectively. whereas the rest i.e. the non-Brahmin Hindus namely the Hira. Kaibarta. Jogi Kumar and Kalita together form another cluster (i.e. A). Both the Brahmin and Muslim maintain considerable distance from the non-Brahmin Hindu groups. However, it appears that the distance between the Brahmin and the non-Brahmin Hindu groups is much shorter (distance between B and A is 0.8899), than that between the Muslim and the non-Brahmin groups (distance between C and A is 1.0620). This finding more or less agrees with the known ethnic history of the endogamous groups included in the present study

Biology · Endogamy · Ethnic group · Genealogy · Geography · Hinduism · Sociology · Zoology · Agricultural Economics and Practices · Anthropology · History · Philosophy · Religious studies · South Asian Studies and Conflicts

• Variation in anthropometric characters and their relationship with climatic factors

  Dipak Kumar Adak•Anthropologischer Anzeiger•2004

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