The Australoids possess some primitive features similar to Caucasoids; so they are included in sub-division of the Caucasoid racial stock. The Australoids have been classified into two main groups: the Australian aborigines and the PreDravidian or Australoid or Veddoid. These two groups have been further subdivided into seven subtypes:
1 Australian Aborigines
These people are an admixture of an archaic Caucasoid type with some Negroids with certain amount of Oceanic influence in them. The people are concentrated chiefly in Australia.
The physical features are: Skin colour varies from medium brown to dark chocolate brown. Hair is wavy or curly but rarely straight and colour varies from medium brown to black with abundant hair on body and face. Head is dolichocephalic and narrow with a Cephalic index of 73. Nose is platyrrhine and very broad, nasal root is markedly depressed and nasal bridge is moderately high and broad, with thick tip. Face is outlined with short and shows medium to pronounced prognathism with receding forehead. Eyebrow ridges are extremely large but the chin is usually receding, medium to dark brown eyes with medium stature with an average of 165 cm.
2 Pre Dravidian (or Australoid or Veddoid)
This population is mainly concentrated in South and Central India. The typical representatives of this type are Kadar, Kurumba, Irula, Bhil, Gond, Khond, Oraon, etc.
The physical characters are: Skin colour ranges from dark brown to nearly black among Pre Dravidian people. Their hair is wavy or curly and black on head and scanty on body and face. Head is dolichocephalic and the cephalic index is between 73 and 75. Nose is platyrrhine and very broad with depressed nasal root and bridge is moderately high. Their face is short and narrow and moderate prognathism with sloping forehead and prominent eye-brow ridges. The chin is somewhat receding. Eye colour is dark brown with very often thick lips. Stature is short and average height is 157 cm, with delicately body built.
a) Veddas: The Veddas of Ceylon is also a typical member of this group.
Their physical features are: Dark brown skin colour with wavy or curly and black hair. Head is the smallest of all living human groups. Their head form is dolichocephalic, with a cephalic index of 70. Nose is platyrrhine, depressed nasal root and low and broad nasal bridge. Face is short and broad, sometimes little prognathism is noticeable. Forehead is slightly receding and eye-brow ridges are often pronounced. Chin is receding. Eye colour is dark brown and lips are medium or thick. Stature is short; average height is 152 cm and small body size.
b) Sakai or Sanoi: The Sakai of Southern part of Malay Peninsula is also a member of Australoid group.
The physical characters are: skin colour varies from yellowish brown to dark brown with wavy, curly and black hair with reddish tinge. Head is mesocephalic, with a cephalic index of 75. Nose is mesorrhine but approaching towards platyrrhine; the nose is flat with medium breadth. Narrow face with little or no prognathism and the chin is weak. They possess dark brown eye colour with medium thick lips having short stature with an average height of 152 cm whose body is slender and small.