Abstract: Sixty-seven physical characteristics (9 observed and 58 measured), stature and 11 indices were assessed on 159 Tuvas adults (55 males and 104 females) from the Altay District of the Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang. Results of this research was as follows. Frequencies of the upper eyelid eyefold, the epicanthic fold, and the earlobe were 71.70%, 47.80% and 55.97% respectively. The color of the skin was mostly light, while hair was black and eyes were brown. The nasal root height was low to moderate in size. Most adults were mesorrhine and had medium sized alae nasi. The upper lip was thin to medium in height. Among males, lobe type was generally triangular but also square; in females, rounded and triangular dominated. Average body height was 166.7cm for males and 152.6cm for females, and average weight was 71.25kg and 58.93kg respectively. Typical physical characteristics of the Tuvas included: hyperbrachycephaly, hypsicephalic type, mesorrhiny, broad chest circumference, narrow distance between iliac crests, esatiskelic type, high trunk length, and squat figures. Males were of tapeinocephalic type, mesoprosopy and had broad shoulder breadth. Females were euryprosopy. In conclusion, the physical characteristics of Tuvas were similar with those of Khalkhas, Buryats and Tatars all of which belong to the North Asian type of Mongoloid.

Key words: Anthropometry; Somatoscopy; Tuvas; China