Chapter LXIII: Scapular Notch in the Munsee and in Whites

-------------+-------+--------+---------+--------+--------+---------
| | Form 1 | Form 2 | Form 3 | Form 4 | Form 5
Sex |Speci- |(absent)|(shallow)|(medium)| (deep) |(complete
| mens | | | | | foramen)
-------------+-------+--------+---------+--------+--------+---------
Munsee: | | % | % | % | % | %
Male | (9) | — | 22 | — | 67 | 11
Female | (12) | 8 | 66 | — | 16 | —
Peruvian | | | | | |
Indians: | | | | | |
Male | (57) | 3.5 | 15.8 | 70.2 | 10.5 | —
Female | (37) | 5.4 | 24.3 | 67.6 | 2.7 | —
Whites: | | | | | |
Male | (267) | 0.7 | 15.4 | 57.3 | 22.8 | 3.7
Female | (164) | 3.7 | 15.2 | 64 | 16 | 1.2
-------------+-------+--------+---------+--------+--------+---------
Side | | | | | |
Munsee: | | | | | |
Right side | (11) | — | 40 | — | 50 | 20
Left side | (10) | 10 | 60 | — | 30 | —
Peruvian | | | | | |
Indians: | | | | | |
Right side | (50) | 4 | 22 | 68 | 6 | —
Left side | (44) | 4.5 | 15.9 | 70.5 | 9.1 | —
Whites: | | | | | |
Right side | (215) | 2.3 | 14 | 62.3 | 18.6 | 2.8
Left side | (216) | 1.4 | 17.6 | 56.5 | 21.8 | 2.8
-------------+-------+--------+---------+--------+--------+---------

It is plain that while among the whites the medium form of the notch very largely predominates, among the Munsee this form is absent, though this is doubtless accidental to some extent at least, owing to the relatively small number of specimens. The complete foramen is much more frequent in the Munsee than in the whites.

As to the sexes, in both the Munsee and the whites there is observable a predominance of the deeper forms and the complete foramen among the males, and of the shallower forms and the complete absence of the notch in the females.

As to sides, no characteristic differences in the notch appear.

RIBS

Owing to careful collection, a large majority of the ribs from the Munsee cemetery were preserved and are with their respective skeletons, thus facilitating their study. Furthermore, we possess nearly all the bones of the spines, which show the rib facets.

The ribs present are marked throughout by medium and normal development. Fractures are very rare, there being only two (in one subject) among the 166 ribs of the males, and but one in 196 ribs of the females.[78] This speaks well for the peaceful life of the community.

[78] Or 8 in 1,000. Among the whites, dissecting-room material, in a total of 16,300 ribs examined, the author found fractures in the first rib in the proportion of 4 in 1,000; in the second rib, 20 in 1,000; and in the ribs below the second, 49.3 in 1,000.

The number of ribs is normal (24) in every one of the adult males; among the females, however, there are two interesting anomalies—namely: In female no. 285,311 there are 25 ribs, the additional one being well developed, 6.5 cm. long, right cervical; this rib approaches in form the ordinary first rib, while both the latter are unusually long, being about one-third longer than any of the other female first ribs in the series. The spinal formula in this case, curiously enough, is only 7-12-4, the fifth lumbar being attached to the sacrum. The second anomaly is present in female skeleton no. 285,321, with the spinal formula of 7-11-5, and consists of the absence of the last pair of ribs. The congenitally absent dorsal vertebra is the twelfth.

The first rib generally repays special examination, particularly as to its shape. This shows three main types—(1) the curved; (2) the mono-angular or pistol-shaped, with a nearly straight neck and straight body; and (3) the biangular, in which, besides the angle between the neck and the body, there is another distinct angle in the body itself, so that the rib appears as if it consisted of three segments. The relative frequency of these forms the author has reason to believe will be found to differ in the race and sex, but as a rule it is the same on both sides. In the Munsee the shapes found were as follows: