关键词: 鼻梁;气候;南京直立人

Abstract: It has been asserted that highly protruding nasal saddle of Homo erectus skull from Nanjing was caused by adaptation to the cold environmental climate. Articles written by Coon (1962), Wolpoff (1968) and Franciscus and Trinkaus (1988) were cited to support this assertion. In fact, Coonπs opinion on this matter has not been supported by later studies, the latter two articles have not advocated that highly protruding nasal saddle is resulted from adaptation to cold climate. Instead Wolpoff (1968) asserted that the nasal breadth is correlated with the latitude in Inuit and Australian aboriginals. Data of measurements cited by the present author from Woo and Morant (1934) and Howells(1973) showing the degree of protruding of the nasal part of the skull at its upper and lower parts, in various populations living in the regions of different latitude, indicate that it is confusing in the relation between the degree of protruding and the latitude. There is no clear evidence indicating any relation between the protruding of nasal saddle and the climate. The relation between the shape of nose and the climate is much more complicated than considered previously. The contrast between the degrees of nasal saddle protruding in Inuit skull and Bodo human fossil opposes the assertion that the protruding nasal saddle is caused by adapting to the cold climate. Nanjing Homo erectus lived in the area around 32°N in which is warmer than the region Inuit lives, but the nasal saddle of Nanjing specimen is much higher than that of Inuit. These facts contradict the opinion that the highly protruding nasal saddle was caused by the adaptation to cold climate.

Key words: Nasal saddle; Environmental climate; Nanjing Homo erectus