488 ASIA, EASTERN AND CENTRAL
Nasomaxillary sutures not visible (thus uncertain how
broad nasals were); nasonasal suture strongly keeled.
Lateral orbital margin is preserved high up on the R,
which indicates nasals would have been neither very
long nor greatly projecting forward.
Infraorbital foramen very large; lies quite close to in-
fraorbital margin and in relatively s/i restricted infraor-
bital plane that may have accommodated a short canine
fossa. Originally, anterior face of zygoma was probably
quite flat across and horizontally facing. Viewed from
above, nasoalveolar clivus was flat, relatively straight
across from side to side, and was probably relatively ver-
tical originally. Inferior nasal margin preserved on the R;
nasal floor probably ran slightly downward and forward
to flow smoothly onto nasoalveolar clivus. Root of fairly
large anterior nasal spine is apparently preserved; from it,
inferior margin slopes down laterally before rising again
to lateral margin.
Bluntly mounded temporal lines originate high up
on zygomatic process of frontal and describe a shallow
posterior curve, fading out above and posterior to re-
gion of asterion. Difficult to tell if there had been any
pronounced sagittal keeling anteriorly (except at point
right behind postglabellar depression). Posterior to
bregma, coronal outline of braincase is somewhat tent
shaped, with rather flat slope lateral to midline, and
more vertical but still slightly outwardly sloping pro-
file below temporal lines. Temporal fossae do not ap-
pear to have been long; apparently were quite deeply
excavated. On both sides, anterior squamosal flows
smoothly into alisphenoid, which does not “corner”
inferiorly; thus no infratemporal fossa or anterior ver-
sus posterior compartments of temporal fossa are de-
lineated. Traces persist of where R squamosal suture
would have been; apparently, squamous portion of
temporal was long and low. Conformation of region
of parietal notch suggests this was open and shallow
(not vertical or right angled).
On the R, articular fossa wide m/l, moderately long
alp, and quite deep; laterally, extends far into posterior
root of zygomatic arch. Anterior face of fossa slopes out
and is bound laterally by a modest articular eminence.
Posterolaterally, fossa bears a small postglenoid plate
and is not closed off medially. On R, posterior root of
zygomatic arch extends moderately laterally and is not
very long dp. Region of auditory meatus preserved on
R was probably relatively small and subcircular in out-
line. Ectotympanic tube may not have extended fully
laterally. On both sides, posterior root flows into supra-
meatal crest (more prominent on L than R). In turn,
suprameatal crest flows into massive, only slightly up-
wardly oriented, supramastoid bulge (more developed
on L).
Mastoid process better preserved on L than R.
Tips of mastoid processes extend moderately below
level of nuchal plane, with their long axis oriented for-
ward. Uninflated lateral sides of processes incline me-
dially. Body of downwardly projecting mastoid process
angled anteromedially, paralleling orientation of mas-
toid notch. Process itself not very bulky, at either its
base or tip. In profile, processes relatively thin a/p and
distinctly anteriorly directed. Breakage in R process re-
veals modest concavity (air cell?). Mastoid notches
long, deep, and moderately broad; may have been en-
larged a bit in preparation. R mastoid notch continues
posteriorly well beyond base of mastoid process, where
it enlarges slightly, with a distinct posterior boundary.
On the L, a relatively large foramen lies in anterior
part of mastoid notch (stylomastoid foramen?). No ev-
idence of paramastoid or occipitomastoid crests medial
to notch. Body of petrosal very short externally, flexed
at about a 45-degree angle relative to long axis of ecto-
tympanic tube. On the R, base of a broken, sheet-like
vaginal process is preserved along anterior portion of
petrosal; process appears to have faded out before
reaching lateral margin of ectotympanic tube. On both
sides, base of vaginal process is distinctly separate from
mastoid process. On the L, base of thick styloid
process is preserved in midpoint of petrosal and well
anterior to presumed stylomastoid foramen. On the R,
carotid foramen is large, faces backward; lies anterolat-
era1 to relatively small jugular foramen; situated at
midpoint of anterior point of petrosal (thus would
have lain anterior to styloid process).
Sutures not visible at rear of skull, but occipital su-
ture clearly was low. Nuchal plane almost horizontal,
forming almost a right angle with occipital plane. This
junction is undercut anteriorly by a shallow sulcus,
which produces a bluntly rounded “~OIXS.” Torus unde-
lineated above, but extends virtually entire width of rear
of skull. Seen from behind, torus curves very gently
downward to midline. Nuchal plane basically flat,
but bilaterally bears widely spaced, anteriorly placed
rounded swellings for cerebellar lobes. Medial to each of
these is a shallow depression lying just behind rim of
foramen magnum; these depressions are separated from
each other by a distinct, rounded external occipital crest.
Lateral to cerebellar swellings, bone gently indented,
then descends slightly to mastoid notch. L swelling
bears a low crest-like structure (Waldeyer’s crest?).