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0304 Explorations in Turkestan : Expedition of 1904 : vol.2
Explorations in Turkestan : Expedition of 1904 : vol.2 / Page 304 (Grayscale High Resolution Image)

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doi: 10.20676/00000178
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460   HUMAN REMAINS FROM THE NORTH KURGAN.

The same index for the trochlea of our Anau talus on both sides amounts to 79.4. The narrowing is therefore somewhat more pronounced than in adult Europeans, but does not attain any exceptional degree.

On the other hand the Anau talus differs in another characteristic considerably, not only from Europeans, but also from all other races concerning which we have the results of investigations, viz, in the angle by which the axis of the neck and head differs from the longitudinal axis of the trochlea (plate 96, fig. 2). For this angle Volkov (1903, p. 706) gives the following values:

Negroes, males .    24°

Melanesians, males    23.4°

Negritos, males   23°

Fuegians, males   22°

Eskimos, males   21°

Weddas, males   2o°

Patagonians, males   20°

Europeans, males   17.8°

In Anau I the deviation of the neck for both sides is 3I°; it is therefore higher than the average of any of the races enumerated. But even individual values as high as this were found by Volkov only in new-born children, where he measured angles up to 35°. The values given for Japanese up to 47° are clearly wrong, since the mean is stated as 19° and the minimum as 28°. Still, Adachi found among Japanese a mean of r9°, but individual variations up to 32°. Thus the Anau talus takes an extreme position in this clearly primitive characteristic, only Japanese occasionally showing as high a divergence.

The torsion of the head of the talus is important, because the transversal arching of the foot is in part dependent on it. According to Volkov 's investigations (1904, p. 32o) its values form an increasing series:

New-born Europeans..     16.5°

Negritos   34°

Melanesians   350

Negroes   36°

Japanese     39°

Europeans   49°

In the Anau talus the torsion is less than in any of the races investigated by Volkov, 3o° to 33°, and is therefore a primitive characteristic of high importance.

The calcaneus also shows peculiarities which differ from that of the European. Its sustentaculum tali is very strongly developed; as Volkov has shown " the lower races" form in this respect "a real transition between the foot of the anthropoids and the foot of the European." Plate 96, fig. 3, shows this difference.

Still another characteristic is to be seen in this figure, one that points to a slight height of the arch of the foot. The joint-surface of the calcaneus intended for the cuboid is more wide than high, and, looked at from below, is less visible than in the European, because it stands more vertical in relation to the longitudinal axis of the calcaneus. The wide, low form of this joint-surface is especially striking in Anau I. We find in this a breadth-height index for both sides of 62.5, while 5 Europeans gave a mean value of 92.o.

The anterior inner joint-surface for the talus on the left is divided into two separate facets, while on the right these are connected by a narrow isthmus.

The right naviculare is very thick on its medial edge; on the lateral, on the other hand, it is narrow. An index which we calculate, taking the thickness at the inner edge as ioo, amounts to 47.4. It is interesting to compare this with the figures given by Volkov (1904, p. 38) as shown at top of next page.