NO. I THE HYPOTROCHANTERIC FOSSA IIRDLICKA 23 



THE FOSSA IN EARLY MAN 



The hypotrochanteric fossa, according to Boiile (" L'homme fos- 

 sile ", p. 248, 1913), is present in a rudimentary form in the casts of 

 the femora of Neanderthal and Spy, and clearly in the two femora of 

 La Ferrassie I ; but it is wanting in those of La Chapelle, and in 

 La Ferrassie II the bones are too damaged to permit of the deter- 

 mination. 



Pearson and Bell, who also doubtless examined only casts, make 

 some erroneous assertions. We may repeat here what they say 

 (P- 453) : 



The fossa hypoirochantcrica is well marked in Neanderthal R., and is quite 



definite in Neanderthal L. and in Spy I and Spy II Galley Hill has a 



slight hypotrodianteric fossa on the mesial side of the ridge preceding the third 

 trochanter. The jossa also appears in all Verneau's femora whether of Cromag- 

 non or Negroid type. Homo nwustcricnsis (Hauseri) is defective at this point. 

 We may conclude that the fossa hypotrochanterica is usual in all types of Primo- 

 genial Man. 



The writer, who has examined all the originals and has, moreover, 

 first-hand casts at his disposal, finds the following conditions : 



Pithecanthropus femur Fossa existed, now almost filled with 



secondary deposits of the bone, so that 

 only a trace remains. 



Neanderthal, right femur Moderate fossa. 



left " No definite trace. 



Spy, 2 male femora Moderate fossa present on eacli. 



'Krapina, male, left Traces of a fossa. 



La Quina, adult, left No fossa. 



The Galley Hill femur does not belong in this coftipany ; and the 

 hypotrochanteric fossa is never located mesially to the gluteal ridge. 



The above conditions of the fossa in the adults of early man do not 

 differ substantially from those in man of today. 



THE FOSSA IN LATER AND MODERN MAN 



As already mentioned in connection with the anthropoid apes, the 

 whole of what may be called the gluteal region on the posterior aspect 

 of the proximal part of the shaft of the femur differs in man in 

 important ways from that in the anthropoid and lower apes. Adult 

 man, in general, has a more pronounced and especially more rugged 

 gluteal ridge; this ridge is only exceptionally, and then usually but 

 paitly, marginal; the gluteal tuberosity (third trochanter) is much 



