THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEANDERTHALOID AUSTRA-

Description of a NVeeanderthaloid Australian Skcull 33
vertical diameter is 18 mm. (right) and 21 mnm. (left). Laterally the vertical
extent and prominence of the ridges decrease, but in the region of the external
angular process there is an increase in the size of the ridges forming a massive
lateral projection. There is therefore present a torus supraorbitalis corresponding
to Type III of Cunningham (5) and resembling that present in the
Neanderthal specimen. There is a pronounced depression between the supraorbital
ridges as they pass inferiorly to fuse with the glabella an additional
Neanderthal feature. In No. 792 the distance of the deepest point of this
depression (facies supraglabellaris) from the nasion is 29 mm.; a comparison
with the distance of this point from the bregma (99 mm.) gives an index of
29-29 (Schwalbe's index) which is within modern limits (21-30). The Neanderthal
is considerably higher, 43-1 (Klaatsch) and Spy II, 34-4 (Schwalbe).
The absolute measurement with the tape from nasion to ophryon in
No. 792 is, however, 43 mm. as compared with 41 mm. in the skull of an
Australian aboriginal in the Turner series (xxix. B. 12, Cunningham (5)) and
43 mm. in the Neanderthal cranium. The correspondence of No. 792 to the
Neanderthal in this respect emphasizes the inadequacy of Schwalbe's index,
as mentioned by Klaatsch and Cunningham.
The division of the superciliary ridges into a medial " arcus superciliaris"
and a lateral "planum supraorbitale" is practically absent in No. 792. This
absence is a primitive feature. The absence of this subdivision in No. 792 is
more complete than in the Kalkadun skull, another point of resemblance to
the Neanderthal specimen. This serves to emphasise the contention of Cunningham
and Klaatsclh in opposition to Schwalbe, that the subdivided condition
of the superciliary ridges in living races is not a point of distinction from
Neanderthal types, which can be applied absolutely, for, as in this instance,
an Australian skull has occasionally to be excepted.
Above the tori supraorbitales, the facies supraglabellaris passes laterally
into the sulci superciliares; these extend to the temporal crests, over which
they pass into the temporal fossae. These sulci are not so pronounced as in the
Neanderthal calvarium, but apparently approximate to the N.S.W. and
Queensland specimens (xxix. B. 12 and xxix. A. 10 respectively) figured by
Cunningham (5). Though shallow, these siilci attain a width of 15 mm. on each
side which is less than in the Neanderthal but greater than in the abovementioned
N.S.W. cranium. These sulci look upwards, as well as forwards;
a character which obtains to a greater degree in the Neanderthal (fig. 7).
Section of the skull revealed the fact that there was present an unusually
large frontal air sinus (fig. 2). Cunningham (5) quotes Logan Turner, who found
that by illumination he was able to map out these sinuses only in 20 out of
69 aboriginal skulls, and that it was altogether absent in 30 4 per cent. Relatively
small frontal air sinuses close against the inner table of the cranial wall,
bounded in front by a thick layer of condensed bone and situated at the base
of the torus, are as Cunningham points out, usually to be found in the Australian
aboriginal, who in this respect, forms a link with the Neanderthal race and
AnatomV LVII
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