DERMATOGLYPHICS IN ARAUCANIAN INDIANS FROM PATAGONIA AND MULTIVARIATECOMPARISONS WITH OTHER ARGENTINEAN ABORIGINAL POPULATIONS

Digital and palmar dermatoglyphics an reported for 94 Araucanian India ns from the Argentinian Patagonia. All the traits analyzed present val ues within the range of variation found in South Amerindians. The prin cipal finding is the different behavior observed for the digital and p almar traits of the individuals of the tribe, Although finger variable s show high sexual and bimanual variation (especially in males), palma r traits exhibit extreme homogeneity. Multiple discriminant analyses f rom palmar data and finger ridge counts separately were carried out wi th three other Argentinian Indian populations from the Gran Chaco. The results indicate high discrimination between the populations in both palmar variables and finger ridge counts. However, although the nature of interpopulation relationships obtained from palmar data conforms t o the ethnohistorical and geographic patterns, no clear picture emerge s when the finger ridge counts are used.