HEXIAN 413
across region of glabella, which is depressed superiorly.
Posttoral planes moderate, short, and not concave.
Post-glabellar region minimally concave. Although ro-
bust, brow ridges do not project much superiorly or an-
teriorly. Anterior surface of brow flows quite roundedly
out of shallowly concave orbital roof. Appears interor-
bital region was quite broad.
Temporal lines (best seen on L) broadly bandlike;
appear to have arced well up from postorbital region to
a point behind bregma, where they curve strongly
down to asterion. Postorbital constriction minimal. As
hinted on the L, squamosal was quite long and proba-
bly tall, anteriorly it flowed smoothly into temporal
fossa. Apparently parietomastoid suture was quite long
and somewhat horizontal (as seen on L). Parietal
notch obtusely angled; points somewhat anteriorly into
temporal bone. Mastoid regions in general appear
bulky and massive, but downward projection is weakly
developed. Suprameatal and supramastoid crests also
weakly developed. Appears that ectotympanic tube
terminated well medially to suprameatal region; may
have been thick inferiorly. As seen on the R, articular
fossa m/l wide, relatively deep, and not very long a/p;
is bounded posteriorly by tall, backwardly tilted slope
along ectotympanic tube. Anterior wall of fossa essen-
tially vertical. Area of articular eminence low; seems to
have been remodeled on both sides. On the R,
articular fossa not closed off medially; encroached
upon by posterior swelling of sphenoid. As seen on the
R, it appears vaginal process was short, limited to re-
gion of styloid process, with medial extension to area
above backwardly facing carotid foramen. On the R,
very obliquely oriented mastoid notch very shallow,
relatively broad. Notch expands into a small digastric
fossa lying just behind now-broken mastoid tip.
Lambdoid suture runs gently toward lambda and
arcs shallowly across it. Occipital torus delineated
superiorly by a narrow shelf, thickest in middle; tapers
laterally (more so on R than L). Torus poorly defined
inferiorly by a weak superior nuchal line that forms
upper border of a pair of large, scalloped muscle scars.
Scars separated in middle by weak external occipital
crest. Nuchal plane broad; wider and longer than oc-
cipital plane; moderately angled forward and down.
Lambdoid and sagittal sutures have slight inter-
digitations; probably not segmented. Coronal suture
appears to have been largely fused; may have had
slight interdigitations.REFERENCES
Griin, R. et al. 1998. ESR and U-series analyses of teeth
from the palaeoanthropological site of Hexian, Anhui
Province, China.J. Hum. EvoZ. 34: 555-564.
Holloway, R. 2000. Brain. In: E. Delson et al. (eds),
Encyclopedia of Human Evolution and Prehistory.
New York, Garland Publishing, pp. 141-149.
Huang, W. et al. 1982. Preliminary study of the fossil
hominid skull and fauna from Hexian. Ert. Palasiat. 20:Huang, P. et al. 1995. Preliminary study on ESR method
for dating age of Hexian-Man. Chin Sci. Bull. 40:Wu, R. and Dong, 1982. Preliminary study of Homo erectus
remains from Hexian, Anhui. Acta Anthropol. Sin. 18:Wu, X. and F. Poirier. 1995. Human Evolution in China:A
Metric Description of the Fossils and a Review of the Sites.
New York, Oxford University Press.248-256.1318-1320.142-149.Repository
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropol-
ogy, PO Box 643, 100044 Beijing, China.