McuEE] THE SERI SKELETON 147* 



Jivaumr of the PecuUarUies of the Skeleton 



The nerve and blood-vessel foramina are generally large. This character nnd the 

 platycnemic tibiie indicate an ample musculature of the subject. 



The height is above the general average for a woman, which, according to Topinard, 

 is 1.53. 



The petro-basilar fissures are large and visibly pervious. This condition is found 

 occasionally; significance doubtful ; it is more fre<iuent iu young subjects. 



I'liityciicmic tibia' — This is considered a simian character.' It was found first by 

 Broea in 1868- on bones from Eyzies; it is associated with relative strength of the 

 muscles of the leg; is very frequent among the characters fimud on bones from tlie 

 epoch of polished stone in Europe.' J.Wyman found this character more accentu- 

 ated than at Cro-Magnon or at Gibraltar on a third of the tibias from the mounds 

 of the United States.' 



Perforated humerus— Noticed first by Desmoulins, 1820, on the humeri of Guanches 

 and Hottentots ;< occurs with greatest frequency in the following peoples:" 



Per cent. 



156 neolithic humeri from around Paris 21. 8 



97 humeri nf African negroes 21. 7 



122 humeri of Guanches 25.6 



80 humeri from the mounds of United States (J. Wyman).. 31. 2 



32 humeri of Polynesians 34. 3 



30 humeri of altaic and American races 36. 2 



Summarily, Dr Hrdlit^ka's special determinations conform with the 

 external observations on the Seri body; they indicate an exceptionally 

 large stature, together with a notably well-developed and well-propor- 

 tioned osseous framework, of the native American type, yet signifi- 

 cantly approaching the Caucasian in several respects. It is especially 

 noteworthy that the cranium is well formed and capacious, the precise 

 measurements corroborating the external observation that the Seri 

 head is of good absolute size, though relatively smaller (in comparison 

 with height and weight) than that of some neighboring tribes of less 

 stature — e. g., the Papago. It may be noted, too, that the imi^erfect 

 ankylosis of the epiphyses, and various other skeletal features, are in 

 accord with the inferences from the living body as to the slowness of 

 attaining maturity. It may be noted further that the extraordiuaiy 

 development of the muscular attachments, especially in the masculine 

 cranium, is quite in harmony with the habits of the tribe. 



The remaining somatic characteristics of the Seri are for the greater 

 part of such sort as to be described by generalities and negatives. In 

 general they correspond with those of typical American tribesmen and 

 other peoples; and they do not exhibit striking peculiarities in propor- 

 tion or structure. In the opposability of the thumb, the uouopposa- 

 bility of the hallux, and the independence of fingers and toes, the Seri 

 hands and feet are developed quite up to, if not somewhat beyond, the 



' Hovelacque et Herv6, Precis d'Anthropologie, 1887. pp. 115, 2937. 

 "Bulletin de la SocietS d'Anthropologie, 1868. 



* Hovelacqtie et Herv6, op. cit., p. 113. 



^Histoire Naturelle des Races Humainea, 1826, p. 304. 



* Hovelacque et Herv6, op. cit., p. 291. 



