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238

AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST

[N. S., 22, 1920

However, its anthropological importance and utility are not wholly dependent on its physiological, morphological, or phylogenetic significance, but in great part on its relative frequency. According to all authors consulted the fossa pharyngea is a rather uncommon structure both in man and other animals. Perna[1] and Agostino[2] give very little data on its frequency. Romiti[3] found it five times in 700 crania (0.7%). He quotes Gruber as finding it 46 times in 4000 to 5000 skulls or in about 1 percent of the cases examined. Le Double[4] records its frequency as 1.4 percent on the basis of 5000 skulls examined. Rossi[5] is the only author to my knowledge who has attempted to segregate his material racially. His results follow:

In 2911 European crania the fossa occurred 33 times or 1.31 %.
In 801 non-European crania the fossa occurred 31 times or 3.87 %.
In 240 Papuasian crania the fossa occurred 10 times or 4.16 %.
In 159 Asiatic crania the fossa occurred 7 times or 4.40 %.

The only conclusion one may draw from the above data is that the fossa pharyngea is of relatively rare occurrence and certainly

TABLE I

Groups Represented by at least Twenty Crania which show a Relatively High Frequency of the Pharyngeal Fossa
GroupNumber of
Skulls[6]		Number with
Pharyngeal
Fossa

Percent with
Pharyngeal
Fossa

"Basket Maker" Utah, Grand Gulch 972626.8
Cora Indian Mexico 21 523.8
California Indian (Hrdlička)[7] 42 716.6
Huichol Indian, Mexico 32 515.5
Utah, Grand Gulch, deformed 22 313.6
Tlanepantla, Mexico 23 2 8.6
San Simon, Mexico 49 4 8.2
Tarahumare Mexico 48 3 6.2
⁠Total3345516.4
  1. ↑ Perna, 1906.
  2. ↑ Agostino, 1901.
  3. ↑ Romiti, 1891.
  4. ↑ Le Double, 1903.
  5. ↑ Rossi, 1891.
  6. ↑ Only crania or calvaria having the basilar part of the occipital bone in good condition are included in the totals throughout.
  7. ↑ Hrdlička, 1906.
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