on some fossil remains of man-第4节

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right　side；　and　the　same　part　of　a　rib　of　the　left　side；　the　hinder
part　of　a　rib　of　the　right　side；　and　lastly；　two　hinder　portions　and　one
middle　portion　of　ribs；　which　from　their　unusually　rounded　shape；　and
abrupt　curvature；　more　resemble　the　ribs　of　a　carnivorous　animal　than
those　of　a　man。　　Dr。　H。　v。　Meyer；　however；　to　whose　judgment　I　defer；
will　not　venture　to　declare　them　to　be　ribs　of　any　animal；　and　it　only
remains　to　suppose　that　this　abnormal　condition　has　arisen　from　an
unusually　powerful　development　of　the　thoracic　muscles。

〃The　bones　adhere　strongly　to　the　tongue；　although；　as　proved　by　the　use
of　hydrochloric　acid；　the　greater　part　of　the　cartilage　is　still
retained　in　them；　which　appears；　however；　to　have　undergone　that
transformation　into　gelatine　which　has　been　observed　by　v。　Bibra　in
fossil　bones。　　The　surface　of　all　the　bones　is　in　many　spots　covered
with　minute　black　specks；　which；　more　especially　under　a　lens；　are　seen
to　be　formed　of　very　delicate　'dendrites'。　　These　deposits；　which　were
first　observed　on　the　bones　by　Dr。　Meyer；　are　most　distinct　on　the
inner　surface　of　the　cranial　bones。　　They　consist　of　a　ferruginous
compound；　and；　from　their　black　colour；　may　be　supposed　to　contain
manganese。　　Similar　dendritic　formations　also　occur；　not　unfrequently；
on　laminated　rocks；　and　are　usually　found　in　minute　fissures　and　cracks。
At　the　meeting　of　the　Lower　Rhine　Society　at　Bonn；　on　the　1st　April；
1857；　Prof。　Meyer　stated　that　he　had　noticed　in　the　museum　of
Poppelsdorf　similar　dendritic　crystallizations　on　several　fossil　bones
of　animals；　and　particularly　on　those　of　'Ursus　spelaeus'；　but　still
more　abundantly　and　beautifully　displayed　on　the　fossil　bones　and　teeth
of　'Equus　adamiticus'；　'Elephas　primigenius'；　etc。；　from　the　caves　of
Bolve　and　Sundwig。　　Faint　indications　of　similar　'dendrites'　were
visible　in　a　Roman　skull　from　Siegburg；　whilst　other　ancient　skulls；
which　had　lain　for　centuries　in　the　earth；　presented　no　trace　of　them。*

　　　　＇footnote＇　*'Verh。　des　Naturhist'。　Vereins　in　Bonn；　xiv。
　　　　1857。　　I　am　indebted　to　H。　v。　Meyer　for　the　following
　　　　remarks　on　this　subject：

'The　incipient　formation　of　dendritic　deposits；　which　were　formerly
regarded　as　a　sign　of　a　truly　fossil　condition；　is　interesting。　　It　has
even　been　supposed　that　in　diluvial　deposits　the　presence　of
'dendrites'　might　be　regarded　as　affording　a　certain　mark　of　distinction
between　bones　mixed　with　the　diluvium　at　a　somewhat　later　period　and
the　true　diluvial　relics；　to　which　alone　it　was　supposed　that　these
deposits　were　confined。　　But　I　have　long　been　convinced　that　neither
can　the　absence　of　'dendrites'　be　regarded　as　indicative　of　recent　age；
nor　their　presence　as　sufficient　to　establish　the　great　antiquity　of
the　objects　upon　which　they　occur。　　I　have　myself　noticed　upon　paper；
which　could　scarcely　be　more　than　a　year　old；　dendritic　deposits；　which
could　not　be　distinguished　from　those　on　fossil　bones。　　Thus　I　possess　a
dog's　skull　from　the　Roman　colony　of　the　neighbouring　Heddersheim；
'Castrum　Hadrianum'；　which　is　in　no　way　distinguishable　from　the　fossil
bones　from　the　Frankish　caves；　it　presents　the　same　colour；　and　adheres
to　the　tongue　just　as　they　do；　so　that　this　character　also；　which；　at　a
former　meeting　of　German　naturalists　at　Bonn；　gave　rise　to　amusing
scenes　between　Buckland　and　Schmerling；　is　no　longer　of　any　value。　　In
disputed　cases；　therefore；　the　condition　of　the　bone　can　scarcely
afford　the　means　for　determining　with　certainty　whether　it　be　fossil；
that　is　to　say；　whether　it　belong　to　geological　antiquity　or　to　the
historical　period。'

〃As　we　cannot　now　look　upon　the　primitive　world　as　representing　a　wholly
different　condition　of　things；　from　which　no　transition　exists　to　the
organic　life　of　the　present　time；　the　designation　of　'fossil'；　as
applied　to　'a　bone'；　has　no　longer　the　sense　it　conveyed　in　the　time　of
Cuvier。　　Sufficient　grounds　exist　for　the　assumption　that　man　coexisted
with　the　animals　found　in　the　'diluvium'；　and　many　a　barbarous　race
may；　before　all　historical　time；　have　disappeared；　together　with　the
animals　of　the　ancient　world；　whilst　the　races　whose　organization　is
improved　have　continued　the　genus。　　The　bones　which　form　the　subject　of
this　paper　present　characters　which；　although　not　decisive　as　regards　a
geological　epoch；　are；　nevertheless；　such　as　indicate　a　very　high
antiquity。　　It　may　also　be　remarked　that；　common　as　is　the　occurrence
of　diluvial　animal　bones　in　the　muddy　deposits　of　caverns；　such　remains
have　not　hitherto　been　met　with　in　the　caves　of　the　Neanderthal；　and
that　the　bones；　which　were　covered　by　a　deposit　of　mud　not　more　than
four　or　five　feet　thick；　and　without　any　protective　covering　of
stalagmite；　have　retained　the　greatest　part　of　their　organic　substance。

〃These　circumstances　might　be　adduced　against　the　probability　of　a
geological　antiquity。　　Nor　should　we　be　justified　in　regarding　the
cranial　conformation　as　perhaps　representing　the　most　savage　primitive
type　of　the　human　race；　since　crania　exist　among　living　savages；　which；
though　not　exhibiting；　such　a　remarkable　conformation　of　the　forehead；
which　gives　the　skull　somewhat　the　aspect　of　that　of　the　large　apes；
still　in　other　respects；　as　for　instance　in　the　greater　depth　of　the
temporal　fossae；　the　crest…like；　prominent　temporal　ridges；　and　a
generally　less　capacious　cranial　cavity；　exhibit　an　equally　low　stage
of　development。　　There　is　no　reason　for　supposing　that　the　deep　frontal
hollow　is　due　to　any　artificial　flattening；　such　as　is　practised　in
various　modes　by　barbarous　nations　in　the　Old　and　New　World。　　The　skull
is　quite　symmetrical；　and　shows　no　indication　of　counter…pressure　at
the　occiput；　whilst；　according　to　Morton；　in　the　Flat…heads　of　the
Columbia；　the　frontal　and　parietal　bones　are　always　unsymmetrical。　　Its
conformation　exhibits　the　sparing　development　of　the　anterior　part　of
the　head　which　has　been　so　often　observed　in　very　ancient　crania；　and
affords　one　of　the　most　striking　proofs　of　the　influence　of　culture　and
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
　　　　suggest