HUMAN REMAINS FROM THE NORTH KURGAN. 457 
cnemism, and he gives a figure of such a tibia (1888, p. 506). A measurement 
on this reduced picture can, of course, give no exact result, still the corresponding 
index seems to amount to 3.5. The two Wedda tibie Nos. 178 and 179, on plate 
Lxxxu of the frequently mentioned work of Sarasin, yield indices of 3.5 and 4.7. 
In contrast to these values the curvature of the Anau tibia must be considered 
moderate. 
A further character of great importance exists on the anterior edge of the 
lower joint-surface, where this 
goes over into the anterior sur- Pe a an: oe ere 
face of the bone. In European ir 
shin bones a sharp edge usually fi 
separates the joint-surface from 
the anterior surface of the tibia. 
In our tibia, on the other hand, 
the joint-surface extends in one 
place over the just-mentioned 
edge, and makes on the anterior Nees \~—Y” 
surface of the tibia a small facet 
whose condition shows clearly e d 
that it was originally covered 
with cartilage (plate 95, fig. 3, a). 
At this point the edge, instead 
of being sharp, is rounded softly 
off. On the right tibiathe facet 
is less large, but it is still clearly 
present. The difference in the eS Gores, 
form of the joint-surface from a 
that of a Europeanis best recog- 
nized in a sagittal section that 
was drawn with theaidof a lead Fig. 495.—(a) Sagittal section of joint surface of condylus lateralis tibiae 
: from Anau I. (b) Same section from a European tibia. 
wire through the place of the (c) Sagittal section through lower joint-section of left tibia 
facet (fig. 495, € and d). through facet, Anau I; thick line marks cartilage cover. (d) 
2 gh’: Same section through European tibia. (e) Sagittal section 
This characteristic has been through medial edge of trochlea and medial neck-swelling. 
found among different lower (f) Sagittal section through trochlea and lateral neck-swelling. 
races, and also in anthropoids; thus by Thomson (1890, p. 213) in the gorilla, 
orang, and in the Weddas; by Martin in the Fuegians (1894, p. 198) and Senoi 
(1905, p. 635). 
The occurrence was already rightly interpreted by its first observer, Thomson 
(1889, p. 624), who sought the cause of this facet in frequent strong dorsal flexure 
of the foot which occurs especially in a squatting position. Let us look a little 
more closely into the mechanism of the object before us. 
As one can see in a skeleton, in strong dorsal flexure of the foot the talus 
presses with the anterior upper surface of its neck on the forward edge of the joint- 
surface of the tibia. In this action it is especially the medial and lateral edges 
drockiea Sea Proehien. 
(4 fi 
swelli rig 
