Problems of techniques in anthropometric studies in India

Anthropometric studies in India have been conducted on a fairly large scale but the lack of uniform techniques has rendered data non‐comparable. Here, the magnitude of differences in values on account of differences in techniques under two methods has been demonstrated by measuring the cranial height of 35 skulls in the Department of Anthropology, University of Lucknow, India. The direct method gives as much as 5 mm lower values than the subtraction method. Furthermore, the position of vertex relative to apex is highly variable. Such differences are likely to be more magnified in skulls with plano‐occipitals. It is therefore re‐emphasized that anthropometrists should employ uniform techniques, and adequately describe them so that the data remains comparable.