> The Aztec and Inca peoples shared ancient Indigenous American ancestry but developed distinct facial traits shaped by geography and adaptation. The Aztec phenotype, typical of central Mexico, showed broad, rounded faces, medium to wide noses, fuller cheeks, and almond-shaped eyes with bronze to light-brown skin, reflecting adaptation to the warm, temperate valleys of Anahuac. Their features tended to be more symmetrical and compact, with moderate jawlines and a generally softer appearance. The Inca and Andean phenotype, by contrast, displayed longer, narrower faces, straighter or slightly aquiline noses, deep-set eyes, and stronger cheekbones, reflecting both genetic isolation and life at high altitudes. Many Andean individuals had a more angular or elongated profile, with ruddy to darker brown complexions adapted to intense sunlight and cold mountain air. These differences reflect long-term environmental selection: Aztecs evolved in fertile lowland basins with mild climates, while the Incas developed in the oxygen-thin, sun-exposed Andes. Genetically, both groups descend from the first Americans bearing mtDNA haplogroups A, B, C, and D and Y-DNA haplogroup Q, but Andean populations carry more B2 lineages linked to highland adaptation, while Mesoamericans tend toward A2 and C1, associated with migrations across central and northern America. The result is two related yet distinct Native American physiognomies—one shaped by the lush plateaus of central Mexico, the other by the harsh, elevated world of the Andes.
>>216654985Tldr: they were brown.
>>216654985what about mayans?
>>216655059*black
>>216655396> The Maya phenotype, typical of the Yucatán, Guatemala, and Chiapas, is marked by broad, flatter faces, prominent cheekbones, and shorter, wider noses with a slightly concave bridge. Their eyes are almond-shaped and slightly angled, and their jawlines are shorter and more rounded, giving a strong but compact look. The body build tends to be stocky and robust, suited to humid tropical environments, with skin tones ranging from bronze to deep golden-brown. In contrast, the Aztec phenotype—common in central Mexico’s highlands—shows rounder faces, straighter noses, fuller cheeks, and more symmetrical, softer features, along with a somewhat taller, broader build. The Aztecs reflect genetic blending from various central Mexican peoples, while the Maya show deeper continuity with ancient lowland populations. Both share core Native American lineages (mtDNA A2, B2, C1, D1), but subtle regional evolution gave rise to two visually distinct expressions of Mesoamerican ancestry—the Maya’s angular, compact strength versus the Aztec’s balanced, highland softness.
What am I supposed to do with this information?
>>216654985A decent take. Though the technically Andes range is massive, way bigger than the Inca realm shown there, and that’s not even counting the coastal peoples who, by convention, can also get lumped into, plus the forested ceja de selva slopes to the east are also Andean.In both instances, for example, their noses can be quite different from what’s being described. But there’s also the issue of migrations, both ancient and more recent, which have mixed phenotypes in many places.I’d say the text is talking about one specific, though large, part of the Inca Empire, and even a bit beyond it, but it still doesn’t cover the whole Inca realm. If you’re looking at ancient phenotype diversity, it was very broad, as studies show: https://news.ncsu.edu/2015/03/ross-peru-2015/“Our work shows that the Yauyos (Lima region's mountains) had facial features that were very different even from other peoples in the same region,” Ross says. “This raises questions about any hypothesis that rests in part on the use of the Yauyos sample as being representative of all South America.”
