Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 59. (Budapest 1967)

Tóth, T.: On the diagnostic significance of morphological characters I. (A methodological study)

the millimeter values of this morphological feature displaying perceptible differences with regard to the Europoide—

Mongoloidé great races. One should also mention that, according to the studies cited above, the millimetric analysis failed to show completely filled fossa canina on the Mongoloidé series. In the 953 skulls examined by us, filled fossa canina was found only in 15 cases (1.5%), and shallow ones (ball 1) in 183 skulls (19.2%). It is also worthy of note that completely filled fossa canina had not been found, as mean values per given series, in the findings deriving from Mosonszentjános, Öskü, Nemesvölgy, Budapest-People's Stadium, and KiskőrösVágóhíd either, even though the Mongoloidé features were rather expressed in them (Table 3, Tóth 1962 b, 1963). On the other hand, it should be mentioned with reference to the other findings that the greatest average depth of the fossa canina can be observed on the male series of Ellend I in the Southern Transdanubia (Table 3). Among the female groups, the greatest average depth was found on the findings of Szebeny I of also the Southern Transdanubia (Table 3). At the same time, the smallest average depth in the female groups were not found on the Nemesvölgy, Mosonszentjános, and Kiskőrös-Vágóhíd findings, but on those of Győr, Csákberény, and Kecel I, which latter, however, cannot be regarded Mongoloids by reason of the primary morphological characters of the splanchnocranium. Finally, the male series of Kiskőrös-Vágóhíd and Kiskőrös-Városalatti, significantly different with respect to the nasomalar, zygomaxillary, and nasal spine angles, reflect a considerable agreement concerning the values of the fossa canina (Table 3, and TÓTH 1963, 1964). It can be stated therefore that, with special regard to the analysis per individual of the findings from the great migrations in the Central Danubian Basin, the morphological values of the fossa canina can be considered only with some reservations and merely as supplementary data in the differential diagnosis of the primary taxonomical characters. Summary 1. It can be established on the basis of recently conducted comparative researches that both the cranial index and the bizygomatic breadth are to be evaluated as secondary taxonomical characters, not only for Northern, Central, and Innermost Asia but also for the Central Danubian Basin, in the case of findings originating from the era of the great migrations. 2. The fossa canina, owing to its considerable intra- and interracial variability, cannot be interpreted as a primary taxonomical character, but it might render valuable supplementary data in the character-complex. 3. In the analysis of the osteological findings, deriving from the great migrations enacted in the Central Danubian Basin, especial attention should be paid to the taxonomically diverse validity of tbe morphological characters considered in the respective investigations. líeferences: 1. BARTUCZ, L. : Über die anthropologischen Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen von Mosonszentjános, Ungarn (Skythika, 2, 1929, p. 83 — 96). — 2. BARTUCZ, L. & MATÁN, M.: Die anthropologischen Ergebnisse der Ausgrabungen von Jutas und Oskii (Skythika, 4, 1931, p. 75 — 95). — 3. BARTUCZ, L. : Adatok a magyarországi avarok ethnikai és demographiai jelentőségéhez (Acta Univ. Szegediensis, Acta Anthrop., 3, 1 — 2, Szeged, 1950, p. 1 — 27). — 4. BARTUCZ, L. & FARKAS, GY. : Zwei Adorjáner Gräberfelder der Awarenzeit aus anthropologischem Gesichtspunkte betrachtet (Acta Univ. Szegediensis, Acta Biol., ser. nov. 8, 3 — 4, Szeged, 1957, pp. 315 — 347). — 5. BÂTAI, E.: A váchartyáni avar temető csontvázleleteinek embertani vizsgálata (Ann. Hist.-nat. Mus. Nat. Hung., ser. nov. 2, 1952, pp. 213 — 224). — 6. FEREMBACH, D.: Diagrammes crâniens