Bone mineral content was measured by photon absorptiometry of the radius in an Ecuadorian population noted for longevity and for rarity of fractures and spinal curvature in the elderly. Bone mass, after covariance adjustment for age, height, weight, and bone width, was 15% below values for U.S. whites, indicating that the rarity of skeletal problems was not due to high bone mass or diminution of aging bone loss.