208 MEMOIRS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Just how far the st.itemeut of any of the preceding authorities is the result of iudividual 

 knowledge and experience, or to what exteut the iuformatiou wiis drawn from previous authors, 

 or the number of cases upon which the observations were made, does not appear, and for this 

 reason the exact authrojjological value of the statements is diflicult to estimate, lu order to 

 reach the questiou in a more dchnite manner we give the results of an examination of 32 specimens 

 of hyoids from whites whose ages are known. For this series the lowest limit iu age taken is 35 

 years, which, although somewhat below the middle point of life, will yet be more nearly comparable 

 to the series of the Saladoans and the negroes which will be referred to later. 



The sexes from which the specimens were taken are about e(iually represented; but the 

 nationality is not given further than, that they were white. Of these 21 show bony union of the 

 greater coruua with the body, and in 11 the coruua are free, giving a percentage of 65 and a fi'action 

 for those that are joined. For 24 of the specimens the age given is 45 years and upward, aud of 

 these 18 are joined aud .six are free, making a percentage of 75. A more detailed analysis of the 

 union and non-union is as follows: United upon both sides, 17; united upon the left side, 3; united 

 upon the right side, 1 ; both cornua free, 11. It may be remarked that in the remaining five 

 specimens under 35 years of age there is one (age 31) which shows union of one of the greater 

 cornua, namely, upon the left side. If this was added to the list the percentage would be increased 

 to GO and over. However, the percentage of 65 maybe reganUd as a fair expression of the 

 condition of the hyoid of the white so far as the bony union of the greater cornua is concerned. 

 In those of 45 years and upwards 75 per cent is probably a fair estimate of this condition. 



Turning now to the negro, we have altogether a series of 35 hyoids which pertain to persons 

 of 35 years and upward. Of these 27 show bony union of the greater cornaa with the body and 

 8 are free, giving a percentage of 77 and over; L'l arc joined upon both sides; 3 are joined upon 

 the left side; 3 are joined upon the right side, and s arr entirely free. We have previously reported 

 upon a .series of 25 negro hyoidj;,* in which the percentage of bony union of the greater cornua 

 was found to be 00. If now we inclutle these 35, we have a series of 60 specimens in which the 

 mean percentage is 70. Of the 35 there are 12 of 45 years and upward, of which 10 are joined 

 and 2 are free, giving 83|V per cent. This examination does not take into consideration those cases 

 of mixed blood, since some of the specimens are known to be from mulattoes. Just how this has 

 influenced the percentage is not easy to determine, but it is no more than reasonable to suppose 

 that it has had some effect^ aud may account in a measure for the close correspondence between 

 the white and the negro in the matter of uui(jn of the greater coruua. 



In the light of these facts we come lastly to consider the hyoids of the ancient Saladoans, of 

 which there are 97 in all, many of them being complete. Some of this number are not accompanied 

 by the skeletons to which they belong, owing .to the advanced stage of decay in which they were 

 found rendering their preservation impossible. In all cases where the skall could not be preserved 

 a careful examination was made with a view to the determination of the age from the condition of 

 the teeth, the synostosis of the sutures of the skull, and the angle of the jaw. 



We have adopted the syntem of labeling them Young, Adidt, Old, aud Very Old. In the 

 category of "Young '^ we have placed all those specimens under the age of 21 years, or those in 

 which the last molar had not been erupted, the teeth themselves little worn, aud the evidence of 

 epiphyses had not yet been obliterated. In the class "Adult" we have placed all examples in 

 which the teeth were fully erupted and all evidence of epiphyses obliterated, but which do not 

 show any bony union of the cranial sutures. In the class " Old " we have placed all those in which 

 the teeth are very considerably worn and the sagittal or coronal suture shows bony union. The 

 class marked "Very Old" we have made to include all those specimens in which the sagittal, 

 coronal, and lambdoidal sutures were synostosed, in which the teeth were entirely gone — their 

 alveoli being absorbed — or were reduced to inconsiderable stubs, aud the angle at which the 

 horizontal ramus of the lower jaw joins the perpendicular portion was very open or obtuse. In 

 most of the examples of this class all the sutures of the skull had disappeared, indicating great age. 



That part of our material in which the greatest amount of interest centers is, of course, in the 

 classes marked "Old" aud "Very Old," and it is more than possible that a certain number of 



* American Anthropologist. 



