ANTHEOPOMETBY 101 



belongs to a skeleton in question by its fit with other bones in articula- 

 tion, and by resemblances in color, size, shape, muscular insertions, 

 processes, and peculiarities, with the corresponding bone of the oppo- 

 site side of the body. With the exception of the atlas we are never in 

 a position to absolutely identify a given stray bone, or even a whole 

 skeleton, with a given skull. Occasionally we find it difficult to even 

 pair or place individual bones; but special features and measurements 

 help greatly in this direction. 



Recognition of distinct racial types in a collection, demands especially 

 careful procedure. The skull of a typical White, a typical Negro, a 

 typical Eskimo, or a typical American Indian, may be readily and 

 reliably identified, wherever found by the expert student; and in a 

 smaller measure this is also true of some other parts of the skeleton. 

 But when it comes to a recognition of crania or bones of mixed-bloods, 

 or of closely related racial types, we face considerable uncertainties. 

 The safest rule in all cases is for the observer to set aside from his 

 series any skull or skeleton concerning the anthropological identity of 

 which he is in serious doubt. He will bear in mind, of course, that 

 among all peoples there exists in every feature a wide range of normal 

 variation. 



Determination of Normality. A normal skull (or a normal bone) 

 is that which has not been modified in shape, size, or any other manner, 

 mechanically or through disease. 



Mechanically a skull may be modified through injury, artificial 

 or accidental deformation in life, or posthumous deformation. 



Deformations through injury are readily recognizable, and in general 

 are of small importance to anthropology. But extensive injuries of 

 the vault and especially of the face, or injuries followed by serious 

 alterations in the bone, may spoil the specimen more or less for 

 study. 



Artificial and accidental deformations in life have been dealt with 

 previously (pp. 47-8), and the observations made in that connection 

 apply essentially also to the skull. The best way to appreciate lesser 

 grades of deformations is to pass the hand snugly over the top of the 

 skull from before backwards; the practiced sense of touch is even 

 more reliable in these cases than the sense of sight, and will be of much 

 assistance. 



Posthumous deformations are fortunately not frequent, but must 

 nevertheless be reckoned with, and that above all in imperfect skulls 

 and with the lower jaw. The degree of such deformation, with or 



