Abstract: In this study, the physical characteristics of 442 adults (258 males and 184 females) of Wa nationality were investigated. Thirty-one physical indices were calculated and the their distributions determined. The results of this work are as follows. The percentage of a Mongoloid fold is low (16.1 %), whereas the percentage of the eye fold of the upper eyelid is high (96.8 %). The nasal root height, the alae nasi height and upper lip height are medium in size. Ear lobe types are mostly rounded (58.1 %). The color of hair, eye and skin was most frequently black, brown and yellow. The average stature was 16014 cm for males and 15017cm for females, which indicates classification to the sub2middle type. The average weight was 5419 kg for males and 4911 kg. According to the anthropometric standards for males and females, types of physical characteristics of Wa nationality are frequently identified as brachycephaly, hypsicephalic type, tapeinocephalic type, leptorosopy, leptorrhiny, long length of trunk type, mesatiskelic type, and medium chest circumference. The wide breadth of shoulder and medium distance between iliac crests were highest in males, while females had more characteristically a medium breadth of shoulder and a narrow distance between the iliac crests. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) results of 32 Chinese nationalities (16 each from northern and southern China) including the Wa nationality shows that the stature of this group is small and slim, with small maximum head length, and facial height and the five sensory organs relatively large. Thus, the physical characteristics of the Wa nationality belongs to South Asian type of Mongoloid race.

Key words: Somatoscopy; Anthropometry; Wa nationality; China; Principal component analysis