HUDLifKA] SKELETAL REMAINS OF EARLY MAN 369 



The results of a critical examination and comparison of the bone 

 failed, as seen in the preceding paragraphs, to sustain the former 

 strained interpretations. There can not be even a shade of question 

 as to the human provenience of the atlas, while the possibility of its 

 belonging to an earlier species of man is opposed by the facts that 

 such species is otherwise still a mere hypothesis, that there is nothing 

 on hand on which to base the new species except a single imperfect 

 bone of secondary anthropologic importance and of wide individual 

 variation, that all of the peculiarities of tliis bone fall well within the 

 range of such variation in modern human atlases, and that none of 

 its features are more primitive than those of the atlases of Indians of 

 comparatively recent times. 



The normal range of variation in the more important characteris- 

 tics of any part of the human skeleton extends, according to extensive 

 observations of the writer, to from 50 to 250 individuals, adult 

 and of one sex. If it can ever be shown that not one out of at least 

 100 adult male atlases of the Indians who occupied the region of 

 which Monte Hermoso is a part, is the same as or closely similar 

 to the "fossil" specimen, and if other atlases the same as or closely 

 similar to tliis, but of thoroughly established geologic antiquity, 

 are found in the same region, then another variety of man might 

 perhaps be establislied on this basis. It would still remain to be 

 shown, however, by skulls and other parts of the skeleton, that the 

 peculiarities of the atlas are not those of a mere local group but 

 those of a distinct species of humanity. 



The writer's opinion, based alone on the structural characteristics 

 of the Monte Hermoso atlas, is that it is a bone from a short, but 

 by no means dwarf, and probably thickset, relatively modern, man. 

 It is probable that the bone was accompanied by a rather massive 

 skull, which is not a rare occurrence even in females among the 

 Indians. 



THE TETRAPROTHOMO FEMUR, FROM MONTE HERMOSO 



The specimen is a left adult femur, complete in the lower extremity 

 and the shaft, but with the upper end missing to a point just below 

 the greater trochanter (pi, 64 and fig. 51). 



The bone is nearly black in color, owing in this mstance to fossili- 

 zation, with a shiny surface. It appears fully petrified. It has the 

 same appearance as the fossil teeth and bones of animals found by 

 the writer in the Monte Hermoso barranca or seen by him in collec- 

 tions from that localit}". 



^Morphologically, the specimen at first sight impresses one as 

 bearing but little generic resemblance to the human thigh bone, 

 but as approximating much more closely the femora of lower mam- 

 21535°— Bull. 52—12 24 



