WHOLE VOL. SKELETAL REMAINS OF EARLY MAN HRDLICKA 20I 



The fibulae. — Present, about the lower fifth of the right bone. 

 The strength of the bone and also the fact that the union line of the 

 epiphysis is still perceptible, identifies the bone decisively with skele- 

 ton No. 2. The outer surface of the lower end is rather bibeveled, 

 rising to a median ridge ; and the fossa next to the articular facet 

 is small and shallow. The facet itself seems also to dififer from that 

 of modern bones by a greater length from above downwards. 



The patella. — The left complete patella, originally identified erro- 

 neously as right, doubtless masculine, may be attributed safely to 

 skeleton No. 2. The dimensions and form are close to those in modern 

 man ; but the articular area is relatively broad. The upper and outer 

 border shows a moderate notch for the vastus lateralis. 



DIMENSIONS OF THE PATELLA 



cm. 



Height 4.65 



Breadth 5.2 



Thickness, max 2.3 



The calcaneus. — Present, the right bone ; masculine, and doubtless 

 belonging to skeleton No. 2. The mesial and anterior parts of the 

 bone are badly damaged. Notwithstanding this it is plain that the 

 bone was very stout and very short. The stoutness is particularly 

 marked in the body and the heel, but extended really throughout the 

 bone, so that the articular surface for the astragalus is broader than 

 in modern bones. The shortness of the bone is due practically entirely 

 to the shortness of its anterior portion (the part anterior to the rear 

 facet for the tarsus). 



The bone shows a number of interesting particulars. One is the 

 relatively slight development of the medial process and the adjacent 

 border bounding anteriorly the inferior surface of the tuberosity; the 

 second is the marked development of the groove for the long flexor 

 muscle of the great toe ; the third is the relative narrowness and 

 shallow concavity of the mesial surface of the body. The articular 

 facets for the astragalus fall within the range of their variation in 

 modern bones — a range known to be extensive. 



The astragalus. — ^The left astragalus, belonging plainly to the 

 above described calcaneus and pertaining with it to skeleton No. 2. 

 The bone, like the calcaneus, is stout but relatively short antero- 

 posteriorly. In details it does not dififer greatly from modern bones, 

 except in dimensions and to some extent the form of the articular 

 surface. The lateral groove between the head and the body is, how- 

 ever, less spacious than in modern bones. 



