Recently published craniometric and genetic studies indicate a predominantly indigenous ancestry of Indian populations. We address this issue with a fuller coverage of Indian craniometrics than any done before. We analyse metrical variability within Indian series, Indians' sexual dimorphism, differences between northern and southern Indians, index-based differences of Indian males from other series, and Indians' multivariate affinities. The relationship between a variable's magnitude and its variability is log-linear. This relationship is strengthened by excluding cranial fractions and series with a sample size less than 30. Male crania are typically larger than female crania, but there are also shape differences. Northern Indians differ from southern Indians in various features including narrower orbits and less pronounced medial protrusion of the orbits. Indians resemble Veddas in having small crania and similar cranial shape. Indians' wider geographic affinities lie with “Caucasoid” populations to the northwest, particularly affecting northern Indians. The latter finding is confirmed from shape-based Mahalanobis-D distances calculated for the best sampled male and female series. Demonstration of a distinctive South Asian craniometric profile and the intermediate status of northern Indians between southern Indians and populations northwest of India confirm the predominantly indigenous ancestry of northern and especially southern Indians.

Otter-like mammals have been reported from the Indian sub-continent for more than a century and a half. Enhydriodontini are far more common and have a longer fossil record than either Lutrini or Aonychini. This paper describes and interprets two fossils from the Pleistocene of Panchkula and Pipalwala, India. The Panchkula specimen represents a large species of Amblonyx (Aonychini) whereas the Pipalwala specimen is likely to represent a large individual of Lutra palaeindica (Lutrini).Key words: Otters, Amblonyx, Lutra, Pleistocene, India, Siwaliks, new species. RESUMENMamíferos de tipo nutria han sido señalados en el subcontinente Indio desde hace más de un siglo y medio. Los Enhydriodontini son de lejos los más comunes y tienen un mayor registro fósil que los Lutrini o los Aonychini. En este trabajo describimos e interpretamos dos fósiles procedentes del Pleistoceno de Panchkula y Pipalwala, India. El ejemplar de Panchkula representa una especie de talla grande de Amblonyx (Aonychini), mientras que el ejemplar de Pipalwala representa a un individuo de talla grade de Lutra paleoindica (Lutrini).

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Our previous metrical study of Indian crania from across the South Asian subcontinent found great variability within all of the series, combined with average trends whereby the Indian series resemble each other and contrast with series outside of South Asia. This contribution confirms the craniometric distinctiveness of Indian crania, notwithstanding their intra-series variability, through stepwise discriminant function analysis of the six best sampled series from northern and South India. The proportion of crania from places beyond South Asia classified as Indian is negligible, while over 90% of Indian crania are correctly identified as Indian. This correct identification of Indian crania is enhanced amongst those specimens whose possession of pronouncedly Indian craniometric attributes is revealed through index analysis. By extrapolation, index analysis may also assist the correct classification of non-Indian populations that also are craniometrically distinct. Further, Indians’ craniometric distinctiveness aligns with genetic evidence for the predominantly indigenous ancestry of Indians who speak Indo-Aryan and especially Dravidian languages.