s \VA RT K RA h- s 279
Others
SK 18. SK18a, identified as LP1. Very worn. Buc-
cally crown swollen over root; in profile, crown would
have sloped strongly inward. D/1 corner of crown
distended, giving occlusal outline subtriangular shape.
Deep vertical lingual groove on roots; mesial to groove,
root less wide b/l than distal to it. SK 18b consists of
two fragments, not necessarily from same tooth. Both
very worn; larger could have been from an upper
premolar. SK 18 also includes proximal end of a radius.
SK 45. Fragment of a small R ramus containing
M1 and 2 and alveolus of M3. At level of M1 corpus
is moderately tall s/i but not very wide b/l. Mental
foramen is moderate to large; lies underneath anterior
root of Ml. Beneath posterior root of M1, corpus
diminishes dramatically in height, creating a “corner”
below M1 and a straight, upwardly oriented inferior
margin posteriorly. Anterior root of ramus partially
preserved; lies under M3 alveolus; no gutter between
M3 alveolus and ramus. Hint of a mylohyoid groove
posteriorly, under region of M3 alveolus. Below this is
a well-defined fossa, twinned with another depression
anterior to it. Ml and 2 are extremely worn and quite
short m/d; would not have been very large. On both,
root divides quite close to neck.
SK 847. Partial L side of cranium, consisting of
part of maxilla, L orbital and zygomatic regions and
parts of L temporal, broken roots of R and LP1 and
LM2, worn M3 crown, LI2, and alveoli for R and
LCs and Ils, as well as for RI2. Also various braincase
fragments (not all necessarily hominid or from same
individual). Teeth: broken roots of R and L P1 and L
M2 present, as is worn M3 crown and L 12. Alveoli
for R and L Cs and Ils, and R 12.
Cranium and Teeth. Face unusual. Preserved sup-
erior nasal area does not conform particularly well to
darker-colored subnasal area far below it; however,
contact of maxilla with cranium more posteriorly
looks good. Despite its large face, this would have
been a very short skull (unless it protruded far
posteriorly beyond mastoid region). As reconstructed,
glabellar region is obliquely set and the bone of the
medial orbital wall projects unnaturally into the orbit.
Orbit was thus originally probably taller s/i and more
D shaped than now, and the postglabellar plane would
have been more horizontal.
Correcting for the above, glabellar region would
have projected anteriorly slightly beyond the supraor-bital margin, with which it is smoothly confluent
anteromedially as well as superiorly. Supraorbital mar-
gin thin s/i, its anterior surface sloping slightly back.
Orbital roof is slightly concave and runs into anterior
surface of brow at bluntly rounded angle. Superior or-
bital margin is indented far medially by the m/l long
supraorbital notch. Posttoral plane fairly long; there
apparently was a moderately steep rise to frontal
behind it. Anterior temporal line groove-like and
emerges quite high up, running quite strongly medi-
ally. A large sinus lies in the posttoral region behind
glabella and extends laterally to the level of the supra-
orbital notch; it extended posteriorly along the medial
orbital wall, as well as inferiorly down to roof of large,
single-chambered ethmoid sinus, from which it is sep-
arated by a thin bony sheet. Sinus pervading frontal
region is confluent anteriorly with a channel running
anterior to the wall encasing the ethmoid sinus.
Extent of “frontal sinus” indicates frontal lobes could
not have extended fully over orbital cones.
Nasal bones lack their superior extremities, but
would have been quite long and and thin superiorly. In
what is preserved, a distinct crest runs along the na-
sonasal suture and fades out before reaching inferior-
most part. On either side of the crest, nasal bones are
flat across and, as seen on the L, are broadest about
two-thirds of the way down. Inner surfaces of nasal
bones are quite concave, groove-like, and separated at
midline by a thin, distinctly raised bony septum. Also
internally, a huge maxillary sinus fills out the entire
maxillary bone as far back as the posterior maxillary
pole and penetrates laterally far into the zygoma, lat-
eral to maxillary tuberosity. Maxillary sinus also de-
scends well inferiorly to just above M3 roots. Also pre-
served internally is part of the infraorbital canal, which
is far separated from bone of infraorbital region. Its
steep angle suggests infraorbital foramen was situated
quite far from the inferior orbital margin. Orbital floor
was possibly totally ossified over infraorbital groove.
Inferior orbital margin is obliquely oriented, descend-
ing laterally from preserved maxillary part of what ap-
pears to have been a shallow lacrimal fossa. Preserved
anterior part of anterior lacrimal crest is thin and low.
Preserved infraorbital region is quite flat and vertical.
Frontal process of maxilla is angled forward only mini-
mally, where it meets the inferior part of the nasal
bone (thus the region across nasal bones would have
been quite flat). Anterior root of zygomatic arch also
forwardly facing; when viewed from the front, its infe-
rior margin slopes only modestly up and out. Thus, the