NOTES ON CERTAIN HUMAN CRANIA IN 

 THE QUEENSLAND MUSEUM. 



By Heber a. Longman, F.L.S.. Director. 



(Plates I to V.) 



AijThough no special attention lias been given in the past to the collection 

 of aboriginal and other crania in the Queensland Museum, a considerable 

 number of specimens have been acquired. No opportunity of securing additional 

 luatci'ial is now being lost, and it is hoped that the collection will be largely 

 augmented as time goes on. 



During the re-registration of our crania, each has been carefully examined 

 for unusual features, and certain measurements, mainly those involving cephalic 

 and vertical indices and the cubic capacities, have been tabulated. Some of the 

 ppecimen.s are of such interest that it is desirable to record a few notes regard- 

 ing them with the illustrations now pixblished. Later on, perhaps with the 

 assistance of other workers, it is hoped that our series will be dealt with in the 

 adequate way that Professor R. J. A. Berry and Dr. A. W. D. Robertson have 

 treated Australian and Tasmanian aboriginal skulls, descriptions being supple- 

 mented by dioptrograpliic tracings in various normie. 



A male aboriginal cranium (Q.E. 16/1157), from an unknown locality — 

 unfortunately — illustrates a palate with approximately parallel sides, recalling 

 those of the anthropoid apes (Plate I). This characteristic has, of course, 

 been previously noted for certain Australian and Tasmanian crania, but in this 

 specimen it is present to a surprising degree. The palato-maxillary region is 

 dolichuranie ; the incisors are in the one straight line, and the molar series are 

 almost parallel. The length from the anterior alveolar border between the 

 median incisors to the extremity of the posterior nasal spine (which is decidedly 

 long) is 70 mm. On each side the maxilla extends 11 mm. beyond the alveolus 

 of the third molar. The breadth of the palate is 37 mm. between the second 

 premolars, and this only increases to 40-5 mm. between the third molars. The 

 combined length of the molars and premolars is 49-5 mm. on the right and 48 

 on the left. The masticatory area is thus above the average. The palate is 

 unusually deep anteriorly, the sides near the first molar being 20 mm. The 

 external pterygoid jilaic is considerably extended, and on each side there are 

 ti-aces of ossifications between it and processes from the border of the foramen 

 spinosum. For an aboriginal the mastoid processes are well developed. 



Although the dental arcade is of unusual size, the area in front of the 

 third molars lies within the dimensions of the cast of the Talgai cranium, described 

 by Dr. S. A. Smith. 



