HUMAN ORGANIC EVOLUTION: FACT OR FANCY? 



must be noted. This torus, though well developed, is dis- 

 continuous, much as in Homo sapiens. But there are many 

 other features, such as a rounded occiput, well developed 

 forehead, less massive jaws, with the upper jaw being hollowed 

 rather than bowed out, and with limb bones resembling those 

 of modern man, both by virtue of lighter construction and 

 straighter shafts than those of Neanderthal man. 



It is interesting to note that of all the changes that took 

 place at the time of the divergence of Homo sapiens and 

 Homo Neanderthalensis, the enlargement of the brain is most 

 noteworthy. This enlargement was associated with exaggerated 

 development of the eye ridge, jaws and palate, and retro- 

 gressive changes in the limb skeleton in Neanderthal Man, 

 while in Homo sapiens it was associated with a recession of 

 the eye ridge and the jaw, diminution of teeth, a more rounded 

 head, with an upright forehead, and the retention of limb 

 characters already acquired much earlier, as for instance, in 

 Pithecanthropus. 



A discussion of the Neanderthal population is not complete, 

 however, without calling attention to two fossils, one coming 

 from Northern Rhodesia and the other from Java. Both 

 resemble Neanderthal man in some features. Rhodesian man 

 has eye ridges very much like those of Neanderthal man, is 

 also very robust, quite flat headed with receding forehead. 

 But in some other features it is distinctly more modern, as in 

 some metrical features on the skull, absence of a backward 

 rotation of the occiput, and the fact that the pelvis, sacrum, 

 and limb bones are very much like those of Homo sapiens. 

 Study of the artifacts reveals an upper Pleistocene date. 



The fossil from Java's Solo River is also identified with 

 an Upper Pleistocene date. It resembles in many respects 

 Rhodesian man, but in some others (cranial capacity and 

 position of foramen magnum) approximates more closely that 

 of Neanderthal man. Again, hmb bones are slender and 

 straight shafted. But no firm conclusions can be drawn at this 

 time as to their relationship to Neanderthal man because of 

 the paucity of other fossil finds. It is possible, in fact, to give 

 at least three kinds of interpretations to these finds but the 

 choice of one specific interpretation will depend on future 

 evidence. These may be given here, because they illustrate 



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