on some fossil remains of man-第6章

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the　edge　and　the　interior　of　the　posterior；　or　occipital；　part　of　the
skull；　and　shows　very　clearly　the　two　depressions　for　the　lateral
sinuses；　sweeping　inwards　towards　the　middle　line　of　the　roof　of　the
skull；　to　form　the　longitudinal　sinus。　　It　was　clear；　therefore；　that　I
had　not　erred　in　my　interpretation；　and　that　the　posterior　lobe　of　the
brain　of　the　Neanderthal　man　must　have　been　as　much　flattened　as　I
suspected　it　to　be。

In　truth；　the　Neanderthal　cranium　has　most　extraordinary　characters。　　It
has　an　extreme　length　of　8　inches；　while　its　breadth　is　only　5。75
inches；　or；　in　other　words；　its　length　is　to　its　breadth　as　100：72。　　It
is　exceedingly　depressed；　measuring　only　about　3。4　inches　from　the
glabello…occipital　line　to　the　vertex。　　The　longitudinal　arc；　measured
in　the　same　way　as　in　the　Engis　skull；　is　12　inches；　the　transverse　arc
cannot　be　exactly　ascertained；　in　consequence　of　the　absence　of　the
temporal　bones；　but　was　probably　about　the　same；　and　certainly　exceeded
10　1/4　inches。　　The　horizontal　circumference　is　23　inches。　　But　this
great　circumference　arises　largely　from　the　vast　development　of　the
supraciliary　ridges；　though　the　perimeter　of　the　brain　case　itself　is
not　small。　　The　large　supraciliary　ridges　give　the　forehead　a　far　more
retreating　appearance　than　its　internal　contour　would　bear　out。

To　an　anatomical　eye　the　posterior　part　of　the　skull　is　even　more
striking　than　the　anterior。　The　occipital　protuberance　occupies　the
extreme　posterior　end　of　the　skull；　when　the　glabello…occipital　line　is
made　horizontal；　and　so　far　from　any　part　of　the　occipital　region
extending　beyond　it；　this　region　of　the　skull　slopes　obliquely　upward
and　forward；　so　that　the　lambdoidal　suture　is　situated　well　upon　the
upper　surface　of　the　cranium。　　At　the　same　time；　notwithstanding　the
great　length　of　the　skull；　the　sagittal　suture　is　remarkably　short　（4
1/2　inches）；　and　the　squamosal　suture　is　very　straight。

FIG。25。Drawings　from　Dr。　Fuhlrott's　photographs　of　parts　of　the
interior　of　the　Neanderthal　cranium。　　A。　view　of　the　under　and　inner
surface　of　the　frontal　region；　showing　the　inferior　apertures　of　the
frontal　sinuses　（'a'）。　　B。　corresponding　view　of　the　occipital　region　of
the　skull；　showing　the　impressions　of　the　lateral　sinuses　（'a　a'）。

In　reply　to　my　questions　Dr。　Fuhlrott　writes　that　the　occipital　bone　〃is
in　a　state　of　perfect　preservation　as　far　as　the　upper　semicircular
line；　which　is　a　very　strong　ridge；　linear　at　its　extremities；　but
enlarging　towards　the　middle；　where　it　forms　two　ridges　（bourrelets）；
united　by　a　linear　continuation；　which　is　slightly　depressed　in　the
middle。〃

〃Below　the　left　ridge　the　bone　exhibits　an　obliquely　inclined　surface；
six　lines　（French）　long；　and　twelve　lines　wide。〃

This　last　must　be　the　surface；　the　contour　of　which　is　shown　in　Fig。　24；
A。；　below　'b'。　　It　is　particularly　interesting；　as　it　suggests　that；
notwithstanding　the　flattened　condition　of　the　occiput；　the　posterior
cerebral　lobes　must　have　projected　considerably　beyond　the　cerebellum；
and　as　it　constitutes　one　among　several　points　of　similarity　between　the
Neanderthal　cranium　and　certain　Australian　skulls。

Such　are　the　two　best　known　forms　of　human　cranium；　which　have　been
found　in　what　may　be　fairly　termed　a　fossil　state。　　Can　either　be　shown
to　fill　up　or　diminish；　to　any　appreciable　extent；　the　structural
interval　which　exists　between　Man　and　the　man…like　apes？　　Or；　on　the
other　hand；　does　neither　depart　more　widely　from　the　average　structure
of　the　human　cranium；　than　normally　formed　skulls　of　men　are　known　to
do　at　the　present　day？

It　is　impossible　to　form　any　opinion　on　these　questions；　without　some
preliminary　acquaintance　with　the　range　of　variation　exhibited　by　human
structure　in　generala　subject　which　has　been　but　imperfectly　studied；
while　even　of　what　is　known；　my　limits　will　necessarily　allow　me　to
give　only　a　very　imperfect　sketch。

The　student　of　anatomy　is　perfectly　well　aware　that　there　is　not　a
single　organ　of　the　human　body　the　structure　of　which　does　not　vary；　to
a　greater　or　less　extent；　in　different　individuals。　The　skeleton　varies
in　the　proportions；　and　even　to　a　certain　extent　in　the　connexions；　of
its　constituent　bones。　　The　muscles　which　move　the　bones　vary　largely
in　their　attachments。　　The　varieties　in　the　mode　of　distribution　of　the
arteries　are　carefully　classified；　on　account　of　the　practical
importance　of　a　knowledge　of　their　shiftings　to　the　surgeon。　　The
characters　of　the　brain　vary　immensely；　nothing　being　less　constant
than　the　form　and　size　of　the　cerebral　hemispheres；　and　the　richness　of
the　convolutions　upon　their　surface；　while　the　most　changeable
structures　of　all　in　the　human　brain；　are　exactly　those　on　which　the
unwise　attempt　has　been　made　to　base　the　distinctive　characters　of
humanity；　viz。　the　posterior　cornu　of　the　lateral　ventricle；　the
hippocampus　minor；　and　the　degree　of　projection　of　the　posterior　lobe
beyond　the　cerebellum。　　Finally；　as　all　the　world　knows；　the　hair　and
skin　of　human　beings　may　present　the　most　extraordinary　diversities　in
colour　and　in　texture。

So　far　as　our　present　knowledge　goes；　the　majority　of　the　structural
varieties　to　which　allusion　is　here　made；　are　individual。　　The　ape…like
arrangement　of　certain　muscles　which　is　occasionally　met　with*　in　the
white　races　of　mankind；　is　not　known　to　be　more　common　among　Negroes　or
Australians：　nor　because　the　brain　of　the　Hottentot　Venus　was　found　to
be　smoother；　to　have　its　convolutions　more　symmetrically　disposed；　and
to　be；　so　far；　more　ape…like　than　that　of　ordinary　Europeans；　are　we
justified　in　concluding　a　like　condition　of　the　brain　to　prevail
universally　among　the　lower　races　of　mankind；　however　probable　that
conclusion　may　be。

　　　　＇footnote＇　*See　an　excellent　Essay　by　Mr。　Church　on　the
　　　　Myology　of　the　Orang；　in　the　'Natural　History　Review'；　for
　　　　1861。

We　are；　in　fact；　sadly　wanting　in　information　respecting　the　disposition
of　the　soft　and　destructible　organs　of　every　Race　of　Mankind　but　our
own；　and　even　of　the　skeleton；　our　Museums　are　lamentably　deficient　in
every　part　but　the　cranium。　　Skulls　enough　there　are；　and　since　the
time　when　Blumenbach　and　Camper　first　called　attention　to　the　marked　and
singular　differences　which　they　exhibit；　skull　collecting　and　skull
measuring　has　been　a　zealously　pursued　branch　of　Natural　History；　and
the　results　obtained　have　been　arranged　and　classified　by　various
writers；　among　whom　the　late　active　and　able　Retzius　must　always　be　the
first　named。

Human　skulls　have　been　found　to　differ　from　one　another；　not　merely　in
their　absolute　size　and　in　the　absolute　capacity　of　the　brain　case；　but
in　the　proportions　which　the　diameters　of　the　latter　bear　to　one
another；　in　the　relative　size　of　the　bones　of　the　face　（and　more
particularly　of　the　jaws　and　teeth）　as　compared　with　those　of　the
skull；　in　the　degree　to　which　the　upper　jaw　（which　is　of　course
followed　by　the　lower）　is　thrown　backwards　and　downwards　under　the
fore…part　of　the　brain　case；　or　forwards　and　upward　in　front　of　and
beyond　it。　　They　differ　further　in　the　relations　of　the　transverse
diameter　of　the　face；　taken　through　the　cheek　bones；　to　the　transverse
diameter　of　the　skull；　in　the　more　rounded　or　more　gable…like　form　of
the　roof　of　the　skull；　and　in　the　degree　to　which　the　hinder　part　of
the　skull　is　flattened　or　projects　beyond　the　ridge；　into　and　below
which；　the　muscles　of　the　neck　are　inserted。

In　some　skulls　the　brain　case　may　be　said　to　be　'round；'　the　extreme
length　not　exceeding　the　extreme　breadth　by　a　greater　proportion　than
100　to　80；　while　the　difference　may　be　much　less。*　　Men　possessing　such
skulls　were　termed　by　Retzius　'brachycephalic；'　and　the　skull　of　a
Calmuck；　of　which　a　front　and　side　view　（reduced　outline　copies　of　which
are　given　in　Figure　26）　are　depicted　by　Von　Baer　in　his　excellent；
〃Crania　selecta；〃　affords　a　very　admirable　example　of　that　kind　of
skull。　　Other　skulls；　such　as　that　of　a　Negro　copied　in　Fig。　27　from
Mr。　　Busk's　'Crania　typica；'　have　a　very　different；　greatly　elongated
form；　and　may　be　termed　'oblong。'　　In　this　skull　the