33'2 G. F. Eaton — Remains of Man and Lower Animals. 



defined ridge on the lower third of the bone, near its posterior 

 border, and the external surface of the rib anterior to this 

 ridge is somewhat flat and approximately parallel to the plane 

 of the internal surface. As might be expected, the 1st ribs of 

 the females and of the younger animals of both sexes have 

 the ridge less strongly marked than is the case with the older 

 males. The 1st rib of the extinct Bison, Bos occidentalism has 

 essentially the same typical form. I have also examined the 

 1st ribs of a number of domestic cattle, the Bos taurus of 

 zoologists, including two dairy cows, three, well-grown beef 

 animals of uncertain breed, and two fully adult Long-horned 

 Texas Steers. In all these examples of Bos taurus, the ridge 

 that bounds the origin of the external intercostal muscle ante- 

 riorly is placed much further forward on the lower end of 

 the bone, and no such extensive flattened surface appears in 

 front of this ridge as was noted in the examples of Bos 

 americanus. 



In respect to these apparently differential characters, the 

 fragmentary bovine rib from Cnzco, designated as bone 12, is 

 of the form that appears to be characteristic of the Bisons, and 

 differs from the form seen in all the domestic cattle that 1 have 

 examined. However, it resembles the rib of a female Bison 

 or of an immature male, rather than the rugose rib of a mature 

 male. 



Since a fair statement includes a reference to all possible 

 adverse evidence, it is well to note here that the 1st ribs of the 

 Zebus, or Brahmin cattle, Bos indicus, are variable inform, 

 and intermediate between the Bisontic and Taurine types. 

 But the possibility of Zebu ancestry affecting the form of the 

 1st ribs of any South American cattle would seem extremely 

 remote, because, as Professor Lydekker states in his work Oxen, 

 Sheep and Goats of All Lands, Living and Extinct : "There 

 being no other primitive wild ox [other than Bos taurus 

 primigenius. the Aurochs] in Europe, and an Eastern deriva- 

 tion in the highest degree improbable, it is evident that all the 

 domesticated breeds of European cattle must trace their ances- 

 try to the aurochs. It may indeed be admitted that some of 

 the breeds — especially those of Eastern Europe — may have 

 crossed with African or Indian cattle, but this does not affect 

 the general proposition." 



It cannot be denied that the material examined suggests the 

 possibility that some species of Bison is here represented, yet 

 it would hardly be in accordance with conservative methods to 

 differentiate Bison from domestic cattle solely by characters 

 obtained from a study of the 1st ribs of a small number of 

 individuals. 



