2i8 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



turns up in patches elsewhere in Europe, particularly in parts 

 of Portugal, Ireland, France, Sardinia, and also in North-East 

 Africa. The skeletal characteristics are also to be found in 

 many of the oldest European skulls of Pleistocene Homo sapiens, 

 including those from Briix, one of the Briinn skulls. Crenelle, 

 one of the Grimaldi skulls and the famous Combe Capelle skull 

 itself, together with several others. Dr. Fleure supposes that 

 this group of characteristics was to be found in the original 

 Aurignacian dolichocephalic population of Europe, of which the 

 best-known example is the Combe Capelle man, and he believes 

 that the type has probably survived without great alterations 

 in these remote districts of Wales, Portugal, etc., and he supposes 

 that from this original dolichocephalic type, the Nordic and 

 Mediterranean races were evolved in different areas. The author 

 gives the following definition of the Nordic characteristics : "Tall, 

 strong-boned, bones often with projections for firmer attachment 

 of the powerful muscles, fair wavy hair, blue eyes, long face, 

 fine profile, strong narrow nose and chin. The skull tends to 

 be long but well filled out and rather finely curved, retaining, 

 however, something of the supraciliary ridges and other marks 

 of some early long-headed types which have contributed to 

 the evolution of the Nordic. Comparison with earlier types 

 brings out especially the better growth of the lateral frontal 

 region." He thinks that in the climatic conditions of the 

 Baltic region there would be an advantage to the possessors 

 of these characteristics. For instance, the lack of pigmentation 

 would mean less radiation from the body in cold weather, and 

 the large nose with narrow nostrils would mean that cold air 

 could not flood into the lungs in undue quantities, and that 

 it would tend to be warmed as it passed down into the chest. 

 Dr. Fleure's argument here is, if sound, of great significance, 

 because it implies that the conditions under which the Nordic 

 type was evolved were so severe, and the action of natural 

 selection was so keen, that trifling differences of pigmentation 

 and small modifications in the form of the nose meant in many 

 cases a difference between life and death. 



On the other hand, a different set of conditions in the 

 South-West of Europe brought about the evolution of the 

 Mediterranean race. Owing to the warmth and settled life, 

 maturity was reached earlier, and there was an earlier cessation 

 of growth. There was a lesser development of bone and 

 muscle. " The filling out of the skull and its vaulting are 

 not so marked as in good specimens of the Nordic type. 

 The nose is moderate and variable, but narrower than in 

 the older types, though not so large or, usually, so narrow 

 as in the Nordic peoples." The eyes and hair are, of course, 

 dark. 



