Notes

Abstract

THE new skull from Rhodesia described by Dr. A. Smith Woodward in last week's NATURE was exhibited by him at a meeting of the Zoological Society on November 22. The skull, which was found in the Broken Hill Mine at a depth of 60 ft. below wTater-level and 90 ft. below ground-level, is in a remarkably fresh state of preservation. It is much broken on the right side and the lower jaw is missing. The brain-case is of modern human type, and the bone not thicker than that of the ordinary European; the capacity, though not yet accurately determined, is clearly above the lower human limit. The orbits are large and square, with pronounced overhanging ridges much extended laterally. The forward position of the foramen magnum indicates that the skull was poised on an upright trunk. The palate is large, but typically human, and adapted to perfect speech. It is remarkable that the teeth are much affected by caries. The lower jaw must have been massive and larger than the Heidelberg jaw. The appearance of flatness of the frontal area suggests a comparison with Pithecanthropus erectus. Dr. Smith Woodward was inclined to find the nearest approach to the Rhodesian skull in the Neanderthal type from La Chapelle aux Saints in France. Though markedly modern in regard to the brain-case, in its facial characters, while it is essentially human, it appears to hold a position between the gorilla and Neanderthal man. Fragments of the long bones, both femur and tibia, which have been found indicate that, unlike Neanderthal man, Rhodesian man walked in a perfectly upright posture. Dr. Smith Woodward regarded Rhodesian man as possibly a later development than Neanderthal man, but Prof. Elliot Smith suggested that he might represent a primitive type of which Neanderthal man might be a highly specialised form.