98 AF K I c A
(although there was a brief opportunity to make
notes of comparison), and much of the description of
JI 2 had to be done from a cast, the two cranial speci-
mens will described separately.
Jebel Irhoud 1
Cranium lacking base, nasal cavity structures, rear of
orbits, parts of zygomatic arches, and all teeth. Much
of surface badly weathered.
Braincase long, low, and fairly small, with large
upper and relatively much smaller lower face. Viewed
from above, supraorbital regions retreat only slightly
from glabellar region; side walls gently angle in from
bulbous bosses well back on cranium forward to the
distinct postorbital constriction. Cranial profile af-
fected by damage from side to side in region just be-
hind coronal suture, but it appears to have descended
quite flatly behind bregma before entering a fairly
smooth occipital curve from around lambda to region
of superior nuchal line, which thickens as a torus.
Torus undercut by steep anterior slope of nuchal re-
gion. Seen from above, cranial vault is fairly broad,
achieving maximum width just behind auditory meati.
Bone of nuchal plane very eroded; superior nuchal
line was bow shaped, confined to central part of oc-
ciput, and did not extend close to sutures laterally.
From behind, occipital broad between asterions;
short side walls are almost vertical before broadly
curving shallowly across top of braincase (not quite
“en bornbe”).
Upper face large and broad, dominating the much
smaller inferior facial region. Frontal rises quite steeply
in midline and more gently laterally, forming broad
central dome. Frontal very wide and limits extent of
temporal fossa and posterior wall of orbit facing upon it.
Inferior orbital margin protrudes slightly; delineated be-
low by a shallow sulcus. Brow ridges rolled smoothly
from top to bottom, continuous across glabella from side
to side, and curve smoothly into roof of orbit. Glabellar
region broad, horizontal, and flat across. Brows constant
in s/i height until they thicken slightly (both s/i and
alp) above lateral corner of orbit and then thin
markedly down to zygomaticofrontal suture. Brows rise
gently from sides of glabella and arch laterally rather
flatly, essentially following the horizontal superior or-
bital margins. Orbits subsquare and slightly wider m/l
than tall s /i. Anterior lacrimal crest indistinct superiorly.
Lacrimal fossa rather shallow on both sides; it opens su-
periorly, since the anterior and posterior lacrimal crests
do not converge. Interorbital region is very wide. Frontal
processes of maxilla thin a/p; they retreat quite sharply
from the relatively protruding nasal region and begin a
lateral sweep only beyond infraorbital foramen. Infraor-
bital foramina compressed; they face downward and
somewhat medially, and lie relatively close to infraor-
bital margin. Anterior root of zygomatic arch very
gracile and short, sloping backward in vertical plane;
facial plane oriented somewhat anteriorly. Inferior part
of anterior root takes origin well above alveolar margin;
curves out steeply before descending again to stout
maxillary tuberosity, creating distinct malar notch.
Nasal aperture would have been quite low, proba-
bly inferosuperiorly short and inferiorly laterally broad.
Nasal bones (preserved far superiorly) moderately
broad, strongly convex from side to side; were strongly
overhung by protruding glabella and would have flexed
quite sharply below nasion. To judge from damaged
anterior angle of frontal processes, nasals would have
been rather long, possibly with parallel sides. Inferior
nasal margin weathered; blunt lateral part of margin
curves down and around below inferior margin to ter-
minate above I2 root. Inferior corners of nasal aperture
smoothly rounded and curve below into twin excava-
tions (prenasal fossae) of inferior nasal margin lateral
to midline. Apparently there was a small, short, spinal
crest; behind this crest was a longer, low turbinal crest
(may originally have reached conchal crest). Inferior
midline of aperture dominated by a long, fairly thick
platform in area of anterior nasal spines, with two
quite well separated plates. Within nasal cavity, con-
chal crests horizontal. Nasoalveolar clivus moderately
short and quite forwardly inclined; curves quite
smoothly from side to side and down (i.e., curved in
two planes) and bulged very slightly over C roots.
Nasal cavity floor depressed; anterior part slopes
smoothly and continuously upward to inferior margin
of nasal aperture. R conchal crest low and relatively
horizontal; L crest projects more posteriorly (indicat-
ing fusion of now-lost inferior nasal concha).
Strong superior temporal lines emerge (on R)
from broken area lateral to orbit; turn back very
sharply to run back more or less parallel to each other
well down on side of skull, emphasizing postorbital
constriction. Very closely spaced superior and inferior
lines remain quite distinct from the front until fading
out just beyond coronal suture. Zygomatic arch would
have been slightly arced outward and was evidently
quite gracile. Squamosal portion of temporal very long
a/p on both sides, and quite high, with greatest height
achieved far anteriorly, whence squamosal suture