236 A F R I c '1
hominid is represented at Orno Kibish, but following
a reconstruction of the cranium of Orno I, Day and
Stringer (1982) aligned the former with modern
Homo sapiens and the latter with Homo erectus (pre-
sumably sensu Zato). Day and Stringer have recently
reaffirmed the strong distinction between the two
Orno specimens (Day and Stringer, 1991). However,
while they emphasized the similarities between Orno
I1 and Homo erectus and certain differences between
Orno I and typical modern Homo sapiens, they
stopped short of including Orno I1 in Homo erectus. At
the same time, they did subsume Orno I into modern
Homo sapiens. Holloway (2000) gives a cranial capacity
for Orno I1 of 1435 ml.
MORPHOLOGY
Two presumably Middle Stone Age crania; Orno 1
undated, Orno 2 possibly ca. 130 Ka. Also fragments
of third skull.Orno I1
Partial adult calotte missing face, R supraorbital
region, and most of base; somewhat damaged and
weathered; partially reconstructed.
Bone of vault moderately thick; braincase quite
long, moderately domed, with a fairly strong frontal
rise coming directly off supraorbital/supraglabellar re-
gion. Profile peaks just behind bregma, then curves
back more gently to two-thirds along sagittal suture,
from which point it curves downward more strongly
to lambda. After this, profile assumes a flat, steep sur-
face up to its most posterior point (about 2 cm above
level of highest point of superior nuchal line). Below
this point, profile angles down and steeply forward.
Upper one-third of nuchal plane flat in profile in mid-
line; middle third indented; lower third straightens
out again. Viewed from rear, skull moderately tall,
narrow; widest across supramastoid regions. Above
supramastoid regions, sides of braincase relatively ver-
tical until some distance above squamosal suture,
where they curve in broadly to a midline bulge. Seen
from front, biorbital breadth would have been less
than maximum cranial breadth; the latter is achieved
above mastoid processes. Viewed from above, cranium
long, narrow, with shallow postorbital constrictions
bilaterally and a rounded midline swelling posteriorly
that distends the nuchal curve.
L supraorbital region preserved lateral to what
remains of the large supraorbital foramen. Foramensignals shallow transition between what had been a
slightly more swollen medial area and a flatter, more
posteriorly leaning lateral half. When viewed from
above, lateral portion retreats slightly laterally. Orbital
roof deeply concave; corners acutely but quite bluntly
onto anterior supraorbital surface. Superior orbital
margin curved upward from side to side (not straight
across). Temporal ridge thick; rises quite anteriorly
over frontal process before curving smoothly up side of
frontal to fade away. Temporal ridge distinct laterally
throughout its preserved length onto frontal process;
visible medially only well above inferior orbital margin
(both sides). Above supraorbital region, just medial to
medial origin of temporal ridge, bone is shallowly de-
pressed bilaterally. Frontal rises directly from supraor-
bital region. As seen in damaged central portion of
frontal bone, frontal sinus extended well above glabel-
lar region and somewhat lateral to supraorbital fora-
men. As preserved on the R, anterior squamosal flows
smoothly into quite shallow temporal fossa. Broken
bone below makes it impossible to ascertain the de-
marcation between temporal and infratemporal fossae.
As seen on both sides, squamosal is long; its superior
border was probably broadly arced. As also seen on
both sides, suprameatal crest expands rapidly into pos-
terior root of zygomatic arch, and widens rapidly later-
ally, to form an m/l wide, but probably not very a/p
long shelf, the inferior surface of which is formed by
the very expanded lateral part of the flattened articular
eminence. On both sides, supramastoid crest appears
as a short, upwardly curving bulge bounded posteriorly
by a vertical, apparently not very deep, parietal notch.
Notch lies in midline of mastoid process.
As preserved on the R, articular fossa is very deep;
also very long a/p and about as wide m/l. Fossa closed
off medially by flattened posterior curving of its me-
dial wall, and anteriorly by fairly vertical posterior face
of articular eminence. Posterior part of fossa angles
quite strongly backward along anterior face of ecto-
tympanic tube. Tympanic fissure lies almost in mid-
line of fossa. Stylomastoid and carotid foramina not
preserved. Preserved carotid canals on both sides run
forward (suggesting petrosal made almost right angle
with ectotympanic tube). Auditory meatus com-
pressed, ovoid, forwardly tilted, and quite large. Vagi-
nal process is merely a rounded thickening of inferior
surface of ectotympanic tube, and limited to area
around large styloid pit.
Tips of mastoid processes broken close to level of
auditory meati. Preserved bases of processes relatively