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Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

456   HUMAN REMAINS FROM THE NORTH KURGAN.

Broca has obtained an index platycnemicus to characterize this feature, by expressing the width-diameter of the tibia in percentage of its sagittal diameter. He and most of the later investigators took these two measurements at the height of the foramen nutritivum, since in most cases the flattening diminishes further down. Some data are given in the following table:

Index cnemicus.

Thus our Anau tibia with an index of 61.5 approaches the extremest form that is found as a mean value in a race.

As was remarked above, platycnemy is usually most pronounced in the upper third of the bone. On the other hand, P. and F. Sarasin found in the tibi of the Weddas that the flattening extended over the upper two-thirds. It is so also in the Anau tibia. Instead of diminishing from the foramen nutritivum (fig. 494, b), it increases downward, so that in the middle of the diaphysis (fig. 494, c) we find an index of only 61. I.

The already mentioned curvature of the tibia forward, which is not rarely connected with platycnemy and has shared with this and with the pilaster formation of the femur the fate of being declared rachitic, is clearly expressed on our tibia (plate 95, fig. 5). Also, the posterior surface is more concave than is usual, for instance, among recent Europeans.

In order to measure the amount of this curvature for comparison with others, one must lay a straight line from the lowest point (the tibia lying horizontal) below the tuberosity to the deepest point above the edge of the distal joint and measure the height of the ante or edge above this line. This method gives with our tibia a height of 7 mm. Since the distance between the two above-named points is about 23o mm., we find, by expressing the height in percentage of the chord, an index of 3.1. Unfortunately no investigations, so far as I can learn, have been made of this peculiarity of form, which we might use for comparison. Only Manouvrier mentions that he found it in the Guanches together with platy-

Groups.

Index.

Investigator.

Modern French, male   

Lothringer I (before the XIX century)   

Lothringer II, male and female   

Negroes, different origins   

Bajuvars.   

Senoi and Semang   

Negrito, male and female, I    

Negrito, male and female, II   

Negrito, male and female, III   

Andamanese, male (measured in middle of diaphysis) ...    

New Caledonians   

Aino   

Dolmen of Port Blanc I   

Dolmen of Port Blanc II   

Upper California Indians I   

Upper California Indians II   

Upper California Indians III   

Upper California Indians IV   

Prehistoric tibiæ of Feigneux   

Weddas, males.   

Manouvrier Manouvrier Manouvrier Manouvrier

Lehman-Nitsche

Martin Manouvrier Manouvrier Manouvrier

Flower
Manouvrier

Koganei Manouvrier Manouvrier Manouvrier Manouvrier Manouvrier Manouvrier Manouvrier

Sarasin

74.5 74.1 72.4 72.4 72.2

about 67 64.5 64.7 65.7 64.7 63.5 63.5 63.3 64.3 63.7 6o.2 59.2 62.7 62.8 60.5

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