Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1979, Page 60

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Anthropological and Genetic Studies of the Faroese
MEAN TOTAL RIDGE COUNT
Population Number Males Number Females Source
FAROES 155 123.7 141 105.8 Present Study
SHETLAND 194 123.9 214 115.5 Berry & Muir, 1975
SWEDEN 204 139.7 188 120.7 Book, 1957
ENGLAND 825 145.2 825 127.0 Holt, 1968
Table 4. Comparative data for mean total ridge count.
Hair samples were collected from 274 Faroese, 144 males
and 130 females, some subjects were adults but the majority
(79 %) were children in the age range 4 to 18 years. The mean
age of the whole sample was 16.7 years. Comparison of the
samples to the Haarfarbentafel nach Fischer-Saller, a series of
hair colour standards, yielded the following results: Red 2.6 %,
Blonde 29.6 %, Brown 40.2 % and Brown-Black 27.7 %.
The phenomenon of darkening with age makes comparison of
these results with data for various North Atlantic populations
difficult because other studies have involved subjects of higher
or lower mean age. However, data given by Pálsson and
Schwidetzky (1973 and 1975) indicate similarities between
the hair colour of Faroese and Icelanders, both populations
having rather darker hair than other Scandinavian populations.
Celtic populations have darker hair than the Faroese and also
a higher proportion of red hair. Interestingly the majority of
red hair found in the Faroese belonged to individuals whose
grandparents were born mainly in the northern island group.
The scientific measurement of skin colour can be achieved
by making use of the general property of coloured surfaces to
selectively absorb certain wavelengths of incident light and
reflect others. A portable EEL reflectance spectrophotometer
was used to measure the skin colour of 132 male and 117 fe-
male Faroese. This instrument emits light of a number of
known wavelengths and measures the proportion which is re-
flected back from the skin surface. Two sites were tested, the