540 AsI;\, E,~STERN AND CENTRAL
have been only weakly muscle scarred. No trace of ex-
ternal occipital crest or protuberance.
Foramen magnum was quite small, given size of
neurocranium; it was ovoid, with small occipital
condyles lying quite anteriorly on its margin. Sphe-
nooccipital region apparently quite long; any flexure
here is obscured by matrix, but there is a small flexure
downward just at anterior rim of foramen magnum.
As seen on the R, foramen ovale may lie at base of
damaged lateral pterygoid plate.
Palate very long dp, with divergent cheek tooth
rows; may have had a fairly broad curve anteriorly.
Palate was apparently quite shallow in front (matrix
here), sloping gently toward rear, with rather vertical lat-
eral walls posteriorly. Ils, LC, and RM3 missing. Re-
maining teeth worn and quite shattered. Judging by
alveoli, 11s were much larger than 12s. C roots were ap-
parently stout and crowns robust. Pls and P2s quite
massive relative to anterior teeth and even molars. Pl
was apparently slightly larger than P2. As seen on the L,
P2 is noticeably narrower lingually than P1. Judging
from less distorted L side, M1 was smaller in all
dimensions than M2. Both Ms had distolingually
swollen hypocone regions; they were thus longer m/d on
lingual than their buccal sides, which were oblique (due
to greater buccal protrusion of paracone than metacone).
On the L is a vestigial, peg-like M3; RM3 missing.
Yunxian 1 (EV 9001)
Massive skull that was quite flattened and distorted
from L to R, more severely than Yunxian 2. Only dif-
ferences from EV 9002, or parts absent from the
latter, are described here. EV 9001 lacks part of R side
of cranial vault, and both R and part of L zygomatic
arches. Lower face also crushed and distorted from L
to R.
Cranium 1 generally similar to Yunxian 2, but has
s/i thinner supraorbital margins that may have been
confluent across glabella. In addition, maxillary
tuberosities were huge and downwardly distended
(creating very marked incisurae). Frontal and temporal
processes of preserved L zygoma are quite robust and
massive; zygomatic arch would have been thick and
have run straight back, not bowing out. Plane offrontal process of zygoma somewhat flat, but body of
zygoma swells out slightly.
As seen on the R, articular fossa somewhat more
constricted, especially m/l, than in EV 9002; its anteri-
orly sloping anterior wall flows onto a low articular
eminence. Tubular ectotympanics extended f'arther lat-
erally. Vaginal process appears to have peaked midway
along ectotympanic tube. Lambdoid suture partially
preserved on the R; it is rather low and probably curved
smoothly across region of lambda. Basioccipital region
is better revealed than in Yunxian 2. It appears to flex
quite steeply anteriorly (even anterior to the small
flexure at rim of foramen magnum found also in Yunx-
ian 2). As seen on the L, occipital condyle is larger than
in EV9002. As seen on the R, widely separated medial
and lateral pterygoid plates are confluent inferiorly;
foramen ovale sits at superior base of the lateral plate.
Traces of coronal and sagittal sutures preserved; finely
denticulate but apparently not segmented.
As with Yunxian 2, teeth are worn and crushed;
general C and cheek tooth proportions are similar. As
preserved on the L, however, M3 was quite large and at
least as wide b/l as M2, although probably shorter dd.
LM3 has a swollen hypocone region and truncated buc-
cal side. As seen on the R, 11, although not very large, is
much larger and more flared than I2 (although both I1
and 2 are small relative to Cs and cheek teeth). As
preserved, I1 and 2 lingual surfaces were not excavated.REFERENCES
Li, T. and D. Etler. 1992. New Middle Pleistocene crania
Li, T. et al. 1991. Survey and preliminary excavations of the
Chaoxian Quyan river fossil locality. Jian Hang Archaeol.
2: 1-15.
Pope, G. 1992. Craniofacial evidence for the origin of mod-
ern humans in China. Yrbk. Phys. Anthropol. 35: 243-298.from Yunxian in China. Nature 357: 404-407.Repository
Hubei Institute of Archaeology, 67 Donhu Road,
Wuchang, Wuhan, Hubei 430077, China.