on some fossil remains of man-第4章

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civilization　on　the　form　of　the　human　skull。〃

In　a　subsequent　passage；　Dr。　Schaaffhausen　remarks：

〃There　is　no　reason　whatever　for　regarding　the　unusual　development　of
the　frontal　sinuses　in　the　remarkable　skull　from　the　Neanderthal　as　an
individual　or　pathological　deformity；　it　is　unquestionably　a　typical
race…character；　and　is　physiologically　connected　with　the　uncommon
thickness　of　the　other　bones　of　the　skeleton；　which　exceeds　by　about
one…half　the　usual　proportions。　　This　expansion　of　the　frontal　sinuses；
which　are　appendages　of　the　air…passages；　also　indicates　an　unusual
force　and　power　of　endurance　in　the　movements　of　the　body；　as　may　be
concluded　from　the　size　of　all　the　ridges　and　processes　for　the
attachment　of　the　muscles　or　bones。　　That　this　conclusion　may　be　drawn
from　the　existence　of　large　frontal　sinuses；　and　a　prominence　of　the
lower　frontal　region；　is　confirmed　in　many　ways　by　other　observations。
By　the　same　characters；　according　to　Pallas；　the　wild　horse　is
distinguished　from　the　domesticated；　and；　according　to　Cuvier；　the
fossil　cave…bear　from　every　recent　species　of　bear；　whilst；　according
to　Roulin；　the　pig；　which　has　become　wild　in　America；　and　regained　a
resemblance　to　the　wild　boar；　is　thus　distinguished　from　the　same　animal
in　the　domesticated　state；　as　is　the　chamois　from　the　goat；　and；
lastly；　the　bull…dog；　which　is　characterised　by　its　large　bones　and
strongly…developed　muscles　from　every　other　kind　of　dog。　　The　estimation
of　the　facial　angle；　the　determination　of　which；　according　to　Professor
Owen；　is　also　difficult　in　the　great　apes；　owing　to　the　very　prominent
supra…orbital　ridges；　in　the　present　case　is　rendered　still　more
difficult　from　the　absence　both　of　the　auditory　opening　and　of　the
nasal　spine。　　But　if　the　proper　horizontal　position　of　the　skull　be
taken　from　the　remaining　portions　of　the　orbital　plates；　and　the
ascending　line　made　to　touch　the　surface　of　the　frontal　bone　behind　the
prominent　supra…orbital　ridges；　the　facial　angle　is　not　found　to　exceed
56　degrees。*　Unfortunately；　no　portions　of　the　facial　bones；　whose
conformation　is　so　decisive　as　regards　the　form　and　expression　of　the
head；　have　been　preserved。　　The　cranial　capacity；　compared　with　the
uncommon　strength　of　the　corporeal　frame；　would　seem　to　indicate　a　small
cerebral　development。　　The　skull；　as　it　is；　holds　about　31　ounces　of
millet…seed；　and　as；　from　the　proportionate　size　of　the　wanting　bones；
the　whole　cranial　cavity　should　have　about　6　ounces　more　added；　the
contents；　were　it　perfect；　may　be　taken　at　37　ounces。　　Tiedemann
assigns；　as　the　cranial　contents　in　the　Negro；　40；　38；　and　35　ounces。
The　cranium　holds　rather　more　than　36　ounces　of　water；　which
corresponds　to　a　capacity　of　1033。24　cubic　centimetres。　　Huschke
estimates　the　cranial　contents　of　a　Negress　at　1127　cubic　centimetres；
of　an　old　Negro　at　1146　cubic　centimetres。　　The　capacity　of　the　Malay
skulls；　estimated　by　water；　equalled　36；　33　ounces；　whilst　in　the
diminutive　Hindoos　it　falls　to　as　little　as　27　ounces。〃

　　　　＇footnote＇　*Estimating　the　facial　angle　in　the　way
　　　　suggested；　on　the　cast　I　should　place　it　at　64　degrees　to
　　　　67　degrees。G。　B。

After　comparing　the　Neanderthal　cranium　with　many　others；　ancient　and
modern；　Professor　Schaaffhausen　concludes　thus：

〃But　the　human　bones　and　cranium　from　the　Neanderthal　exceed　all　the
rest　in　those　peculiarities　of　conformation　which　lead　to　the
conclusion　of　their　belonging　to　a　barbarous　and　savage　race。　　Whether
the　cavern　in　which　they　were　found；　unaccompanied　with　any　trace　of
human　art；　were　the　place　of　their　interment；　or　whether；　like　the　bones
of　extinct　animals　elsewhere；　they　had　been　washed　into　it；　they　may
still　be　regarded　as　the　most　ancient　memorial　of　the　early　inhabitants
of　Europe。〃

Mr。　Busk；　the　translator　of　Dr。　Schaaffhausen's　paper；　has　enabled　us　to
form　a　very　vivid　conception　of　the　degraded　character　of　the
Neanderthal　skull；　by　placing　side　by　side　with　its　outline；　that　of
the　skull　of　a　Chimpanzee；　drawn　to　the　same　absolute　size。

Some　time　after　the　publication　of　the　translation　of　Professor
Schaaffhausen's　Memoir；　I　was　led　to　study　the　cast　of　the　Neanderthal
cranium　with　more　attention　than　I　had　previously　bestowed　upon　it；　in
consequence　of　wishing　to　supply　Sir　Charles　Lyell　with　a　diagram；
exhibiting　the　special　peculiarities　of　this　skull；　as　compared　with
other　human　skulls。　　In　order　to　do　this　it　was　necessary　to　identify；
with　precision；　those　points　in　the　skulls　compared　which　corresponded
anatomically。　　Of　these　points；　the　glabella　was　obvious　enough；　but
when　I　had　distinguished　another；　defined　by　the　occipital　protuberance
and　superior　semicircular　line；　and　had　placed　the　outline　of　the
Neanderthal　skull　against　that　of　the　Engis　skull；　in　such　a　position
that　the　glabella　and　occipital　protuberance　of　both　were　intersected　by
the　same　straight　line；　the　difference　was　so　vast　and　the　flattening
of　the　Neanderthal　skull　so　prodigious　（compare　Figs。　22　and　24；　A。）；
that　I　at　first　imagined　I　must　have　fallen　into　some　error。　　And　I　was
the　more　inclined　to　suspect　this；　as；　in　ordinary　human　skulls；　the
occipital　protuberance　and　superior　semicircular　curved　line　on　the
exterior　of　the　occiput　correspond　pretty　closely　with　the　'lateral
sinuses'　and　the　line　of　attachment　of　the　tentorium　internally。　But　on
the　tentorium　rests；　as　I　have　said　in　the　preceding　Essay；　the
posterior　lobe　of　the　brain；　and　hence；　the　occipital　protuberance；　and
the　curved　line　in　question；　indicate；　approximately；　the　lower　limits
of　that　lobe。　　Was　it　possible　for　a　human　being　to　have　the　brain　thus
flattened　and　depressed；　or；　on　the　other　hand；　had　the　muscular　ridges
shifted　their　position？　　In　order　to　solve　these　doubts；　and　to　decide
the　question　whether　the　great　supraciliary　projections　did；　or　did
not；　arise　from　the　development　of　the　frontal　sinuses；　I　requested　Sir
Charles　Lyell　to　be　so　good　as　to　obtain　for　me　from　Dr。　Fuhlrott；　the
possessor　of　the　skull；　answers　to　certain　queries；　and　if　possible　a
cast；　or　at　any　rate　drawings；　or　photographs；　of　the　interior　of　the
skull。

FIG。　24。The　skull　from　the　Neanderthal　cavern。　　A。　side；　B。　front；　and
C。　top　view。　One…third　the　natural　size；　by　Mr。　Busk：　the　details　from
the　cast　and　from　Dr。　Fuhlrott's　photographs。　　'a'　glabella；　'b'
occipital　protuberance；　'd'　lambdoidal　suture。

Dr。　Fuhlrott　replied　with　a　courtesy　and　readiness　for　which　I　am
infinitely　indebted　to　him；　to　my　inquiries；　and　furthermore　sent　three
excellent　photographs。　　One　of　these　gives　a　side　view　of　the　skull；
and　from　it　Fig。　24；　A。　has　been　shaded。　　The　second　（Fig。　25；　A。）
exhibits　the　wide　openings　of　the　frontal　sinuses　upon　the　inferior
surface　of　the　frontal　part　of　the　skull；　into　which；　Dr。　Fuhlrott
writes；　〃a　probe　may　be　introduced　to　the　depth　of　an　inch；〃　and
demonstrates　the　great　extension　of　the　thickened　supraciliary　ridges
beyond　the　cerebral　cavity。　　The　third；　lastly　（Fig。　25；　B。）　exhibits
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