Page:The American journal of science, series 3, volume 49.djvu/168

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O. C. Marsh—Pithecanthropus erectus from Java.

its smooth upper surface and general form, it shows a resemblance to the skull of the Chimpanzee, and still closer to that of the Gibbons (Hylobates).

A figure of the present specimen and the skull of a Gibbon for comparison are shown in figure 1, Plate II. These figures and those that follow are reproduced directly, but not all successfully, from illustrations in Dr. Dubois's memoir.

2

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Figure 2.—Longitudinal outlines of crania.

H. European man; P. Pithecanthropus; Ha. Hylobates agilis;
A. Chimpanzee; Hs. Hylobates syndactylus. (After Dubois.)

The tooth, the first specimen found, is the last upper molar of the right side, and is in good preservation. It indicates a fully adult, but not very old, animal. The crown is subtriangular in form, with the corners rounded, and the narrowest portion behind. The antero-posterior diameter of the crown is ll⋅3mm, and the transverse diameter 15⋅3. The grinding surface of the crown is concave, and much less rugose than in existing anthropoid apes.

The femur, which is from the left side, is in fair preservation, although it was somewhat injured in removing it from the surrounding rock. It belonged to a fully adult individual. In form and dimensions, it resembles so strongly a human femur that only a careful comparison would distinguish one from the other. The bone is very long, its greatest length being 455mm. The shaft is slender and nearly straight. The general form and proportions of this femur are shown in figure 3, Plate II, with a human femur for comparison.