Fig. 17. Profile view of young male skull of the type designated that of ‘Grimaldi,’ and alleged to present ‘negroid’ features. Locality. Deeper strata in the Grotte des Enfants, Mentone. (From Birkner, after Verneau, modified.)
From a review of the evidence it seems that the term ‘negroid’ is scarcely justified, and there is no doubt that the Grimaldi skeletons could be matched without difficulty by skeletons of even recent date. Herein they are strongly contrasted with skeletons of the Neanderthal group. And although modern Europeans undoubtedly may possess any of the osteological characters claimed as ‘negroid’ by Dr Verneau, nevertheless the African negro races possess those characters more frequently and more markedly. Caution in accepting the designation ‘negroid’ is therefore based upon reluctance to allow positive evidence from two or three characters to outweigh numerous negative indications; and besides this consideration, it will be admitted that two specimens provide but a feeble basis for supporting the superstructure thus laid on their characters. Lastly Dr Verneau has been at some pains to shew that skulls of the ‘Grimaldi-negroid’ type persist in modern times. Yet the possessors of many and probably most such modern crania were white men and not negroes.
Enough has however been related to shew how widely the skeletons from the ‘Grotte des Enfants’ differ from the Palaeolithic remains associated as the Neanderthal type.
South America. With the exception of Pithecanthropus, all the discoveries mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs were made in Europe. From other parts of the world, actual human remains referable to earlier geological epochs are scanty save in South America. The discoveries made in this part of the New World have been described at great length. In many instances, claims to extraordinary antiquity have been made on their behalf. It is necessary therefore to examine the credentials of such specimens. Upon an examination of the evidence, I have come to the conclusion that two instances only deserve serious attention and criticism.
Baradero.
Fragmentary remains of a human skeleton: the mandible is the best preserved portion; unfortunately the front part has been broken off so that no conclusion can be formed as to the characters of the chin. Otherwise in regard to its proportions, some resemblance is found with the mandible of the Spy skull (No. 1). More important and definite is the direction of the grinding surfaces of the molar teeth. In the lower jaw, this surface is said to look forwards. The interest of this observation consists in the fact that the tooth from Taubach presents the same feature, which is unusual.
Beyond these, the skeleton from the löss of Baradero presents no distinctive features save the remarkable length of the upper limbs.
Monte Hermoso.
From this region two bones were obtained at different dates. These are an atlas vertebra (the vertebra next to the skull) and a thigh-bone. The latter is of less than pygmy dimensions. Both are from fully adult skeletons.