_Ear Helix_
Subm. + ++ +++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 230 28 511 63 72 9 0 0 813
Interior 45 29 99 65 9 6 0 0 153
East 29 24 74 62 17 14 0 0 120
Coast 58 28 128 61 23 11 0 0 209
N.W. 24 30 51 65 4 5 0 0 79
_Darwin's Point_
Absent Subm. + ++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 761 94 36 4 15 2 1 0 813
Interior 150 98 3 2 0 0 0 0 153
East 112 93 6 5 2 2 0 0 120
Coast 187 89 13 6 4 4 1 0 209
N.W. 77 97 2 3 0 0 0 0 79
_Ear-Lobe Type_
Soldered Attached Free Total
No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 80 10 531 65 202 25 813
Interior 47 31 74 48 32 21 153
East 3 3 85 71 32 27 120
Coast 9 4 141 67 59 28 209
N.W. 5 6 52 66 22 28 79
_Ear-Lobe Size_
Subm. + ++ +++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 176 22 457 56 178 22 2 0 813
Interior 49 32 66 43 38 25 0 0 153
East 16 13 76 63 27 23 1 1 120
Coast 31 15 123 59 55 26 0 0 209
N.W. 20 25 47 59 12 15 0 0 79
_Ear Protrusion_
Absent Subm. + ++ Total
No. % No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 2 0 262 32 463 57 86 11 813
Interior 1 1 47 31 90 59 15 10 153
East 0 0 31 26 77 64 12 10 120
Coast 1 0 75 36 114 55 19 9 209
N.W. 0 0 26 33 49 62 4 5 79
_Ear Slant_
Absent Subm. + Total
No. % No. % No. %
Fiji I 416 51 332 41 65 8 813
Interior 78 51 67 44 8 5 153
East 55 46 52 43 13 11 120
Coast 118 56 74 35 17 8 209
N.W. 38 48 39 49 2 3 79
The Fijian ear is a moderately distinctive appendage from a racial
standpoint. The helix shows moderate development on the whole and is
submedium otherwise except for a 9 per cent incidence of pronounced
appearance. Regional variation is small.
The Darwin's point is noted in a number of cases: 4 per cent to a
submedium degree and 2 per cent medium.
The ear lobe is somewhat distinctive with a 65 per cent incidence of the
attached condition and 10 per cent soldered. The remaining 25 per cent
is free. This distinctiveness is more marked among the interior groups
where the soldered type of lobe increases to 31 percent.
Ear-lobe size is moderate in more than half the series, pronounced in 22
per cent, and submedium in 22 per cent. Small lobes are commoner in the
interior province.
Moderate ear protrusion is the commonest form followed by submedium.
Marked projection is recorded as 11 per cent.
Ear slant either is lacking or slight in most instances; the series is
rather evenly divided between these two categories, the zero category
having a small majority. Moderate slant is noted for 8 per cent.