Facial features cluster of 8 minority nationality populations in northwest Yunnan

摘要: Nujiang Prefecture and Diqing Prefecture in northwest Yunnan are on the path of Di-Qiang nationalities^ migration to south. The somatoscopy data were collected in 8 populations in these two prefectures. They are Drung, Nusu, Pumi, Bai (Nama), Lisu of Fugong County and Weixi County, Tibetan (Khamba) and Naxi. Overall 24 features of face shape, eye, nose, lip and ear are measured and used to calculate the genetic distances between the populations. These data, in combination with the data reported in the literature, were used in cluster analysis. It is found that the facial features of Di-Qiang populations of northwest Yunnan are fairly similar, while those of Di-Qiang populations of the other groups, implying the places of Yunnan were identifiable to populations of other presence of gene flow between Di-Qiang populations and the others in vicinity. The differentiation between Lisu and Bai was significant. More interestingly, the populations of the same nationality may differe from each other but may cluster with their neighboring populations, respectively, suggesting the presence of local gene flow.