On the Relation which the Position of the Occipital Condyles 

 Bears to the Glabello-occipital Diameter of the Skull. 



To what is it due? 



By 

 David Hepburn, M. D., F. R. S. Edin. 



Professor of Anatomy, University College, Cardiff. (University of Wales). 



Fremlagt af Prof. Dr. G. A. Guldberg i den mathematisk-naturvidenskabelige 

 Klasses Møde 27. Jan. 1905. 



T, 



he position of the occipital condyles upon the skull of 

 any particular mammal has generally been regarded as the direct 

 result of its attitude, gait and mode of life. Thus in a quad- 

 ruped the condyles are placed on the posterior aspect of the 

 skull in order to articulate with a spinal column whose axis is 

 mainly horizontal; whereas in the Anthropoid Apes the condyles 

 are directed obliquely downwards and backwards in relation to 

 an oblique spinal column and an oblique or semi-erect attitude; 

 while in Man, their position is upon the base or inferior aspect 

 of the skull, directed downwards as a natural concomitant of a 

 spinal column adapted to the erect attitude. Moreover, it is 

 usually assumed that these different positions of the occipital 

 condyles are not only the natural result of the different attitudes, 

 but that they are immediately connected with the balance or 

 poise of the skull upon the cephalic end of the spinal column. 

 Now, although different attitudes are certainly associated with 



Vid.-Selsk. Forn. for 1905. No. 3. 1 



