Abstract: A total of 67 anthropometric measurements and 31 physical indices were collected on 317 Nu adults (183 males and 134 females) from Yunnan Province. The results of this investigation were as follows. The percentage of Mongoloid fold is low, whereas the percentage of eye fold of the upper eyelid is high. The nasal root, the alae nasi and the upper lip were present in all individuals of medium height. A comparison of body measurements of the Nu to other nationalities in China showed that the nasal root height and the upper lip height were smaller, most of lobe types were triangular, and the color of hair, eyes and skin were darker. The average height of males was 16019cm and females was 15019cm, both of which belong to the sub2middle type. The average weight of males was 5415kg with females at 49. 5kg. Types of physical characteristics of the Nu were mostly mesocephaly, hypsicephaly, acrocephalic, mesorrhiny, mesdeg, medium chest circumference with medium distance between the iliac crests. In addition , the percentage of mesoprosopy, long length of the trunk and wide breadth of the shoulder were highest in males, while the percentage of euruprosopy, medium length of the trunk and medium breadth of the shoulder were highest in females. The Nu were slim and small in body proportions, and their physical characteristics belong to the South Asian type of the Mongoloid race.

Key words: Somatoscopy; Anthropometry; Principal component analysis; Nu