友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
on some fossil remains of man-第2部分
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!
out by contrasting the capacity of the frontal with that of the
occipital region。
〃Another cranium of a young individual was discovered in the floor of
the cavern beside the tooth of an elephant; the skull was entire when
found; but the moment it was lifted it fell into pieces; which I have
not; as yet; been able to put together again。 But I have represented
the bones of the upper jaw; Plate I。; Fig。 5。 The state of the alveoli
and the teeth; shows that the molars had not yet pierced the gum。
Detached milk molars and some fragments of a human skull proceed from
this same place。 The Figure 3 represents a human superior incisor
tooth; the size of which is truly remarkable。*
'footnote' *In a subsequent passage; Schmerling remarks upon
the occurrence of an incisor tooth 'of enormous size' from
the caverns of Engihoul。 The tooth figured is somewhat
long; but its dimensions do not appear to me to be
otherwise remarkable。
〃Figure 4 is a fragment of a superior maxillary bone; the molar teeth of
which are worn down to the roots。
〃I possess two vertebrae; a first and last dorsal。
〃A clavicle of the left side (see Plate III。; Fig。 1); although it
belonged to a young individual; this bone shows that he must have been
of great stature。*
'footnote' *The figure of this clavicle measures 5 inches
from end to end in a straight lineso that the bone is
rather a small than a large one。
〃Two fragments of the radius; badly preserved; do not indicate that the
height of the man; to whom they belonged; exceeded five feet and a
half。
〃As to the remains of the upper extremities; those which are in my
possession consist merely of a fragment of an ulna and of a radius
(Plate III。; Figs。 5 and 6)。
〃Figure 2; Plate IV。; represents a metacarpal bone; contained in the
breccia; of which we have spoken; it was found in the lower part above
the cranium: add to this some metacarpal bones; found at very different
distances; half…a…dozen metatarsals; three phalanges of the hand; and
one of the foot。
〃This is a brief enumeration of the remains of human bones collected in
the cavern of Engis; which has preserved for us the remains of three
individuals; surrounded by those of the Elephant; of the Rhinoceros;
and of Carnivora of species unknown in the present creation。〃
From the cave of Engihoul; opposite that of Engis; on the right bank of
the Meuse; Schmerling obtained the remains of three other individuals
of Man; among which were only two fragments of parietal bones; but many
bones of the extremities。 In one case a broken fragment of an ulna was
soldered to a like fragment of a radius by stalagmite; a condition
frequently observed among the bones of the Cave Bear ('Ursus
spelaeus'); found in the Belgian caverns。
It was in the cavern of Engis that Professor Schmerling found; incrusted
with stalagmite and joined to a stone; the pointed bone implement;
which he has figured in Fig。 7 of his Plate XXXVI。; and worked flints
were found by him in all those Belgian caves; which contained an
abundance of fossil bones。
A short letter from M。 Geoffroy St。 Hilaire; published in the 'Comptes
Rendus' of the Academy of Sciences of Paris; for July 2nd; 1838; speaks
of a visit (and apparently a very hasty one) paid to the collection of
Professor 'Schermidt' (which is presumably a misprint for Schmerling)
at Liege。 The writer briefly criticises the drawings which illustrate
Schmerling's work; and affirms that the 〃human cranium is a little
longer than it is represented〃 in Schmerling's figure。 The only other
remark worth quoting is this:〃The aspect of the human bones differs
little from that of the cave bones; with which we are familiar; and of
which there is a considerable collection in the same place。 With
respect to their special forms; compared with those of the varieties of
recent human crania; few 'certain' conclusions can be put forward; for
much greater differences exist between the different specimens of
well…characterized varieties; than between the fossil cranium of Liege
and that of one of those varieties selected as a term of comparison。〃
Geoffroy St。 Hilaire's remarks are; it will be observed; little but an
echo of the philosophic doubts of the describer and discoverer of the
remains。 As to the critique upon Schmerling's figures; I find that the
side view given by the latter is really about 3/10ths of an inch
shorter than the original; and that the front view is diminished to
about the same extent。 Otherwise the representation is not; in any
way; inaccurate; but corresponds very well with the cast which is in my
possession。
A piece of the occipital bone; which Schmerling seems to have missed;
has since been fitted on to the rest of the cranium by an accomplished
anatomist; Dr。 Spring; of Liege; under whose direction an excellent
plaster cast was made for Sir Charles Lyell。 It is upon and from a
duplicate of that cast that my own observations and the accompanying
figures; the outlines of which are copied from very accurate Camera
lucida drawings; by my friend Mr。 Busk; reduced to one…half of the
natural size; are made。
As Professor Schmerling observes; the base of the skull is destroyed;
and the facial bones are entirely absent; but the roof of the cranium;
consisting of the frontal; parietal; and the greater part of the
occipital bones; as far as the middle of the occipital foramen; is
entire or nearly so。 The left temporal bone is wanting。 Of the right
temporal; the parts in the immediate neighbourhood of the auditory
foramen; the mastoid process; and a considerable portion of the
squamous element of the temporal are well preserved (Fig。 22)。
The lines of fracture which remain between the coadjusted pieces of the
skull; and are faithfully displayed in Schmerling's figure; are readily
traceable in the cast。 The sutures are also discernible; but the
complex disposition of their serrations; shown in the figure; is not
obvious in the cast。 Though the ridges which give attachment to muscles
are not excessively prominent; they are well marked; and taken together
with the apparently well developed frontal sinuses; and the condition
of the sutures; leave no doubt on my mind that the skull is that of an
adult; if not middle…aged man。
The extreme length of the skull is 7。7 inches。 Its extreme breadth;
which corresponds very nearly with the interval between the parietal
protuberances; is not more than 5。4 inches。 The proportion of the
length to the breadth is therefore very nearly as 100 to 70。 If a line
be drawn from the point at which the brow curves in towards the root of
the nose; and which is called the 'glabella' ('a') (Fig。 22); to the
occipital protuberance ('b'); and the distance to the highest point of
the arch of the skull be measured perpendicularly from this line; it
will be found to be 4。75 inches。 Viewed from above; Fig。 23; A; the
forehead presents an evenly rounded curve; and passes into the contour
of the sides and back of the skull; which describes a tolerably regular
elliptical curve。
The front view (Fig。 23; B) shows that the roof of the skull was very
regularly and
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!