As reconstructed, palate rather narrow; however, if
inferior margin of orbit is properly repositioned,
bones below it would move laterally, thus widening
both nasal aperture and palate, and changing orienta-
tion of inferior margin of anterior root of zygomatic
arch to a more oblique position. Palate itself would
not have been very long; it was fairly deep, being
bounded by rather steep side walls and a gently
sloping anterior surface.
Internally, part of R jugal region is preserved; it
shows three or four ethmoid air chambers and slopes
medially, suggesting a sunken cribriform area. De-
pressions for occipital lobes are small; the R is more
impressed than the L. Depressions for cerebellar
lobes larger but shallower; the L is larger than the R.
L transverse sinus larger than R both branch off
from sides of low, broad internal occipital protuber-
ance. Both sigmoid sinuses fairly vertical, appear to
have been contained solely in temporal; the R deeper
than the L. As partially preserved on the R, frontal
lobes apparently did not project greatly above orbital
cones.
On the L, C-M1 roots preserved; all strongly
compressed m/d. C root not as wide b/l as premo-
lars roots; was not very long. Both Ps had two
distinct roots that probably bifurcated close to neck;
crowns were probably quite large. M1 crown large;
two buccal roots well separated from large lingual
root.REFERENCESClarke, R. 1976. New cranium of Homo erectus from Lake
Ndutu, Tanzania, Nature 262: 485-487.
Clarke, R. 1990. The Ndutu cranium and the origin of
Homo sapiens.J. Hum. Ewol. 19: 699-736.
Holloway, R. 2000. Brain. In: E. Delson et al. (eds), Ency-
clopedia of Human Ewolution and Prehistory. New York,
Garland Publishing, pp. 141-149.
Leakey, M. and R. Hay. 1982. The chronological position
of the fossil hominids of Tanzania. In: M.-A. de Lumley
(ed), L'Homo erectus et la place de l'homme de Tautawel
parmi les hominide's fossiles. Nice, Premier Congrks Interna-
tional de PalContologie Humaine, pp. 753-765.
Mturi, A. 1976. New hominid from Lake Ndutu, Tanzania.
Nature 262: 484-485.
Rightmire, G. 1990. The evolution of Homo erectus.
Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.Repository
National Museum of Tanzania, P. 0. Box 511, Dar es
Salaam, Tanzania.