The Human Fossil Record. Volume 2 Craniodental Morphology of Genus Homo (Africa and Asia)

(Ben Green) #1

LIUJIANG ( LIUKIANG) 431


rectangular. Interorbital region moderately broad. Infe-
rior orbital margins thickened and everted. Region be-
low only modestly excavated. Infraorbital foramina
small; lie close to inferior orbital margins. As seen from
below, infraorbital region faces forward, with arcuate
cornering at modestly developed maxillary tubercles.
Zygomatic arches apparently arced out laterally. Nasal
aperture small, narrowly trapezoidal. Crisp lateral nasal
margins (lateral crests) fade out inferiorly. Nasal cavity
largely filled with matrii. Anterior nasal spine was ap-
parently large and somewhat protrusive. Short, slightly
anteriorly angled nasoalveolar clivus flows smoothly
from floor of nasal aperture. Maxillary sinus exposed
through damage on the L; does not balloon into nasal
cavity or extend into zygomatic region. Roots of anterior
teeth distend external surface of alveolar bone, with C
roots extending above inferior nasal margin.
Temporal lines emerge high up above orbits, then
curve strongly backward to fade out before crossing
coronal suture. Temporal fossa differentiated from small
infratemporal fossa by low cornering of &sphenoid.
Relatively tall squamosal portion of temporal flows
smoothly into temporal fossa. Anterior portion of
squamosal suture strongly arced superiorly; posteriorly,
suture is straighter, descending steeply to broad parietal
notch. Reasonably well-developed suprameatal crest
swells posteriorly into a tall, somewhat more projecting
supramastoid crest. This crest is separated from the
mastoid process below by a broad sulcus. Obliquely
oriented mandibular fossae (damaged medially) slope
posteriorly along faces of tubular ectotympanics and are
bounded anteriorly by well-developed articular emi-
nences. R meatal region damaged; appears auditory
meatus was relatively small and bone of tubular ecto-
tympanic thick inferiorly.
Mastoid processes, particularly on the L, are thick
at bases; R process is considerably more pointed than L.
Neither mastoid process projects very markedly below
skull base. Mastoid notches shallow; terminate posteri-
orly in tiny digastric fossae. Occipitomastoid and Wald-
eye's crests low. Foramen magnum relatively small,
ovoid. Large, relatively flat-surfaced, ovoid occipital
condyles are situated quite anteriorly on rim of foramen.
On the R, partially preserved pterygoid plates lie parallel
to one another. Little other detail is preserved anteriorly
on basicranium.
Lambdoid suture peaks slightly at lambda. Occipi-
tal plane is quite large and swollen; otherwise it is es-
sentially featureless except at inferiormost extent
(where its border with nuchal plane is defined by a low


superior nuchal line that arcs up from well below aster-
ion to midline). External occipital protuberance not
discernible. Well-defined external occipital crest runs
between a pair of depressed muscle scars.
Palate appears shallow (although M3s missing);
slopes gently backward from incisor region. Dental ar-
cade broadly arcuate. Incisive foramen lies somewhat
behind incisors; was apparently small.
Coronal and sagittal sutures almost completely
obliterated. All cranial sutures appear to have been
segmented. Sagittal and lambdoid sutures noticeably
interdigitated. Parietomastoid suture only modestly
long. Matrix obscures internal morphology.
Teeth worn; M3s congenitally missing. All teeth
quite small. As seen on the R, I1 was a bit larger than


  1. Both 12s have small pit on lingual surface in midline
    (may represent trace of shoveling). Cs were apparently
    narrow-crowned and narrower b/l than Pls. Pls wider
    b/l than P2s. Mls subsquare with large hypocone re-
    gions; as seen on the R, M2 slightly smaller than M1
    but morphologically similar. Other detail worn away.
    No suggestion that teeth were ever wrinkled.


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Repository
Institute of Vertebrate Palaeontology and Palaeoanthropol-
ogy, Academia Sinica, 100044 Beijing, China.
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