What does a basic racial typology describe in Europe?

I think a 5-7 race scheme is enough to describe the basic variation inside of Europe, the most important evolutionary tendencies, specialisations, races are mainly that and can change over time.

My explanation would be as follows, there are basically 6-7 tendencies in Europe and we just see varying degrees and intermediate forms of them. But there can be more than one reason for that pattern, just to mention some:

a) the simplest is (sub-)racial mixture.

b) an evolutionary tendency can occur in various areas, but with a different specific direction, just parts of a type could have been realised for various reasons:

-) the selective pressure in the direction of a type was there but not strong enough, so certain features were never selected or it would have need more time

-) the pressure became too weak or changed before the type was fully realised

-) the direction of the selective pressure changed after the type was realised - a typical form existed but was altered by changing conditions afterwards, etc.


So the types represent the "ideal goal" of a typical European evolutionary tendency which can be realised fully, partly, can be intermediate between two or more forms. In that way those which represent the typical or even extreme form of a tendency are "pure" phenotypically, those which deviate for whatever reason in another direction are "mixed" - crucial are those inherited features which are important for the specialisation and therefore the definiton of a type, an evolutionary tendency.

About which influences might have played a role in forming the various subracial tendencies in Europe I already wrote various posts on this board, so I dont want to repeat it know, but just to discuss about the basic tendencies and relations.

I made a rather rough and simplified graphic to illustrate what I mean, I didnt mentioned all variants I know of and some positions had to be a compromise - simply because of the limits of this simple 2dimensional graphic. As European I consider the basic circles of Nordid, Cromagnid, Dinarid, Mediterranid, Osteuropid and Alpinoid. The best representative form in the centre of the subrace is in brackets. Again this scheme is not meant to be perfect, but just a good illustration of some basic relations in Europe which I have in mind:

Between Mediterranid and Dinarid "Baskid" could be placed, between Dinarid and Alpinoid "Carpathid".

Because Skildur asked on Skadi about Nordid-Osteuropid relation in this graph I added:

The transition from Nordid to Mediterranid is very important and reflects basically a dichotomy of robust and gracile forms in the Leptodolichomorphs of Europe. In terms of general specialisation its clear that both robust Mediterranid (Atlantomediterranid) and Dinarid forms are closer to Nordid than Baltid proper.

But you must read it right, because Cromagnid can be included at least in Nordoid, what could be pointed out too. So there are two relations of Nordids, one to the other leptomorphics, one to the other forms of the North. The 2nd is represented by the Nordid transition to Cromagnid (f.e. Trönder). The transition between Nordid and Osteuropid was not possible in this graphic and as I said its far from perfect. The correlation between Cromagnoid and Mediterranoid was not to make as well if showing all primary correlations and types as well (Southern Cromagnoids: Berberid).

But it would be basically like that: Nordid (Skandonordid) - Eastnordid - West Baltid/Eastcromagnoid (beginning of Osteuropid) - Baltid - Eastbaltid (ending of Osteuropid) - Lappoid. The connection to Nordid is not direct, but just through the "Nordic (Nordoid) connection" with Cromagnids - which are, in terms of specialisation, much closer to Baltid proper than standard Nordids.

A connection to the Nordoid Cromagnids is clear since West Baltid/Eastcromagnid is Nordoid Cromagnid too and between Dalofaelid and Baltid. As are Borrebies between Cromagnid and Alpinoid...

So there the basic poles (6) in Europe and fluent transition between them both due mixture and intermediate evolutionary positions I'd say.

Racial Specialisations and Climatic Zones 

A map, unfortunely just with German terms, which shows the different climatic zones on which I added the more important racial types in their centres or basic, original areas of distribution:

Compare with the racially progressive tendencies in Homo sapiens:

Red circles: Progressive Europid secondary centres (were respective subtypes or important progressive populations might have their centres and are still strong).
Yellow circles: Progressive Mongoloid (including Indianid) secondary centres.
Blue circles: Borealised, cold specialised but otherwise rather progressive forms of Eurasians.
Blue line: Border of the area in which higher percentages of relatively progressive individuals naturally exist(ed).
Thin green line: Primary areas for borealisation after and partly during the last Ice Age.
Light Green (Andid) and Ethiopian circle, semi-progressive to progressive group centres.
Dark Green circles: Centres of infantilisation and reduction in the tropical forests and in groups living in unfavourable conditions.
Pink: Centres of primitive characteristics, similar to the oldest sapiens stratum - if combined with dark green both is visible, archemorphic and paedomorphic characteristics.


(Source: theapricity.com)