AUTHORS ABSTRACT OF THIS PAPER ISSUED 

 BY THE BIBLIOGRAPHIC SERVICE, DECEMBER 15 



THE FONTANELLA METOPICA AND ITS REMNANTS 

 IN AN ADULT SKULL 



ADOLF H. SCHULTZ 



Carnegie Institution of Washington 



FIVE FIGURES 



It is not uncommon to find in the skull of a newborn infant a 

 small fontanelle between the two frontalia in their nasal third. 

 This is usually called fontanella metopica (f. medio-frontalis, 

 fonticulus interfrontalis inferior) (fig. 1). A considerable num- 

 ber of skulls, both of children and of adults, showing short, 

 irregular, transverse or V shaped sutures or fissures in the mid- 

 line of the frontal bone above the level of the superciliary ridges 

 have been described in the literature and interpreted as remnants 

 of the fontanella metopica. The author has found in the skull 

 of an adult an abnormal suture, which is comparable to those 

 above mentioned, but which is more extensive than in any of 

 the cases previously described; accordingly its publication ap- 

 pears justifiable. This specimen (fig. 2) belongs to the Anatomical 

 Department of the Johns Hopkins Medical School and w^as kindly 

 placed at my disposal by Dr. W. H. Lewis. 



The skull is that of an American negro, fifty-five years of age. 

 It might be mentioned that the skin over the frontal region was 

 absolutely normal, therefore any external factor, whether acci- 

 dental or surgical (trepanation) can be excluded as the cause of 

 the anomaly. The greatest length of the skull is 193 mm., the 

 greatest breadth 148 mm., the basion-bregma height 128 mm. 

 and the horizontal circumference 553 mm. The weight of the 

 skull, including the mandible, is 985 grams, a figure, which is 

 close to the upper limit of variation of weight for the human skull. 

 This is an indication of the thickness of the bones of the skull, 

 which is characteristic of the negro. Most of the sutures are 



259 



