Freiburger historische Bestände - digital

99

The skull.

The skull of the African Elephant.

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z, c. 70 cm long. In this skull there is only one tooth in
wear, which must from the statements of OWEN1 be his "fifth molar
", that is to say m2; as Owen states it is 7 inches long and it
possesses on one side 9, on the other 10 plates (according to Owen
only 8 or 9). Behind this tooth is found ms, which has not yet
gone into wear.

The differences from the Indian Elephant which we have noted

are the following:

The lateral margins of the rostrum diverge more forwards.

The rostrum is lesser excavated on the upper side.

It is shorter in relation to the breadth.

The two low rims on its under side (on the maxillaries) are
posteriorly more approached.

The palate-plane between the grinders is much broader.

The palatine bone is broader and shorter. There is generally
one, large lateral palatine foramen (»laterale Gaumenlucke«2), while
in the Indian Elephant it is generally divided.

1 Owen, Odontography p. 638.

2 Boas, Schlafenuberdachung etc. in: Morph. Jahrb. 49. Bd. p. 303.

The hard palate unto the fissura palatina is not nearly so
high as in the Indian Elephant (longitudinal section).

The posterior nasal aperture is much broader.

The petroso-tympanicum is more voluminous and somewhat
different in shape.

The distance between the upper margins of the temporal
grooves is greater than in Indian Elephants of corresponding age.

The hind front of the skull is much natter, the pneumatized
parts on the sides of the indent, in which the ligam. nuchas is inserted
, are quite low in comparison with indicus.

The whole skull is still shorter and broader but not so high,
the last character especially being the consequence of the maxillary
bones, in which the grinders are inclused. being of lesser
height.

The median part of the lamina cribrosa of the ethmoid is
pneumatic, which is not the case in indicus. The air-sinuses from
here extend into the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid, which is
cleft in two blades with an extended air-sinus between them.