关键词: 颅骨；测量性状；地区性差异

Abstract: The object of this study is to explore the characteristics of modern Chinese skulls and itsvariations amongdifferent geographical regions and nationalities.
The materials used in this study include the metric data of 19 groups of modern Chinesemale skulls ranging from northeastern Changchun to southern Hainan island. The measurem-ents taken in this study are 16. Three statistical techniques used to deal with the data are: me-ans comparisons, indices comparisons and cluster analysis. The results are as follows:
1. Means comparisons show that the skulls of north Chinese have bigger values of cranialhorizontal circumference, orbital height, orbit?l breadth, nasal height and upper facial heightthan those of South Chinese.
2. Indices comparisons indicate that from north to south, the percentages of brachycrany,leptorrhiny and hypsiconchy decrease; mesocrany, mesoprosopy, mesorrhiny and mesoconchy increase.
3. The result of cluster analysis shows all these groups were classified into two parts. just according to geographical regions.
According to the results of the analysis of the skull data, it is proposed that moulern Chi-nese should be divided into two types (north and south).

Key words: Skull; Metric traits; Geographical variations