Abstract: A study on a group of people in the serious iodine deficiency area in West Hubei was performed. The results are as follows:
1. The Physical Characteristics
The cephalic index is of mesocephaly type in both sexes. The facial form in most cases is of ovoid type. The morphological facial index mostly belongs to leptoprosopy type in males and females. The nasal index belongs to mesorrhiny. 'There are no Mongolian fold in half of the samples. Double eye-lids are observed at high percentage. The palpebral opening is from the middle to stenotic type and its direction is sloping upward laterally. The statures are rather short, averaging 159.04cm for male and 149.73cm for female respectively.
2. The Blood Groups
The distribution of ABO blood groups is O> B> A> AB, and that of the MN blood groups is MN> M> N.
3. The Dermatogiyphics
The atd angle is 43.18. The variation type of palmar creases is 34.25%, including simian line -9% and other types -25.25%.
4. The Taste threshold for PTC
The taste blindness frequency is fairly high and average taste threshold is fairly high too.
Compared with the normal group of people in the iodine nondeficiency area, the results show that there are obvious differences between the people living in serious iodine deficiency area and iodine non-deficiency area.

Key words: Iodine deficiency; Han nationality; Somatoscopy; Anthropometry; Blood groups; Dermatoglyphics; Taste threshold for phenylthiocarbamide