Abstract: The Gin ethnic group is the national minority group in southern China, mostly occupying Guangxi Province. In 2004, we conducted an investigation of physical anthropological traits of this group including three generations. In this study, there were 52 standard anthropometric and 7 somatoscopic criteria. The results of this research were analysed using PEMS 3.1 and EXCEL, and are illustrated in charts 1 and 2. According to the standards of head, face and body shape, the following traits were the most frequest: mesocephaly, hypsicephalic type, acrocephalic type, mesorrhiny, mesatiskelic type, medium chest circumference, broad breadth of shoulder and medium distance between iliac crests. The stature height index of suprasternal notch located above sitting plane is larger in males compared to females, which have a medium trunk size. A further comparison of these physical characteristics was conducted on 30 minority nationalities, with the resuhs of a cluster analysis showing that Gin ethnic group is closer to Mulao and Li ethnic groups, and similar to the Gin ethnic group living in Vietnam.

Key words: Somatoscopy; Anthropometry; Physical anthropology; Gin nationality