Abstract: The physical characteristics of 285 Khmu adults ( 141 males and 144 females) were investigated. The percentages of 9 somatoscopic measurements, the mean and the standard deviation of 58 anthropometry items, and classification of 31 physical indices were calculated. The comparison was made among the data of Khmu and other 31 populations in China. Physical characteristics of Khmu population were as follows: The frequency of mongoloid fold was low, with 31.21 % for males and 32.64 %for females respectively. The eye fold of the upper eyelid had a high frequency as it was observable in 90.33 % males and 93.75 % females. The nasal root height was medium in the most of males (65.96 %) and females (47.22 %). Most of Khmu adults were medium size in the alae nasi and upper lip height. The lobe type was triangle frequently. The color of hair , eye and skin was black, brown and yellow frequently, respectively. Some types of physical characteristics, including brachycephaly, hypsicephaly type, tapeinocephalic type, leptorrhiny, medium length of trunk and medium chest circumference were observed in the highest frequency. In male, the preference of leptoproscopy, submakroskelic type, broad shoulder breadth and medium distance between iliac crest circumference was high, while in female, the high frequency was appeared in euruprosopy, mesatiskeletal type, medium chest circumference and broad distance between iliac crest circumference. The average stature was 160.2cm for males and 151.5cm for females, which belonged to sub-middle type. Khmu adults had physical characteristics of southern nationalities in China.

Key words: Somatoscopy; Anthropometry; Khmu; China