The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-06-16
.,CENTIST FINDS THEY ARE
provided WITH ONE MORE
THAN USUAL NUMBER.

NEW YORK.-Adam could hardly
hove been an Eskimo, for instead
If having one rib missing these peo-
ole are provided with one more than
4bo usual number on each side, it has
1o+a1v been found by Charles Daw-
,on the English scientist. 1t is quite
= common thing for the number of
ribs and other bones in the lower
animals to vary with the environ
mont. but it is very rare in the hui
man family.
Normally the human skeleton
possesses seven cervical or neck
ioints in the vertebral column, II
dorsal or rib-bearing joints, five
lumbar or waist joints Ito allow the
ladies' to lace), five sacral or hip
limits more or less cemented to-
yetber. and finally three or four eau
da1 or tail joints. (In these tail
Joints, by the way, we exceed some of
tbe higher apes; or, in other words,
ere have more tail than they have, if
that is anything to brag about.
In rare cases an extra joint does
insert itself into a human frame.
This Joint is known as a floating"
Joint, because it may show itself as
an extra rib-bearing joint or as an
extra hip region joint, according to
the case. Sometimes the rib-bearing
mart of the frame borrows a joint
from the lower hip region section,
Or vice versa, apparently to meet the
needs of the race.
These abnormalities have existed
IN man since the earliest times evil
IDENTIFY. The skeleton of a man who
lived in Egypt 5000 years ago shows
thirteenth dorsal or rib-bearing
yertebra, and recent examinations of
skeletons of Eskimos from the north
ernmost shores of this continent re-
veal the same unusual structure. Not
only that, but these Eskimos have
also developed an extra pair of ribs
connected with the extra joint-a
most unusual thing indeed.
Now, everything in nature has
some reason for being and some use,
and so the question arises, what is
1t that has produced this extra pair
of ribs in the Eskimo? Dawson con-
cludes that they have been developed
by ages of padding in the kayak or
skin covered canoe in which the Es-
kimo is as much at home as on land.
These fellows when hunting whales
or other sea prey will perform won
derful feats in their kayaks. They
venture into the toughest seas with
them and they think no more of go
ing under water than duck does.
Often for sport they roll their canoe
Ger and over sidewise and perform
a sort of side somersault, diving I'M
der the water at each turn and never
leaving the canoe, which of course
is decked so as to keep out the
water.
All these maneuvers developed ex'
traordinary suppleness and strength
of the waist, and it is reasonable to
suppose that under the law Of the
survival of the fittest, this abnormal
waist development has had a perma-
nent effect in lengthening the spine
and causing an extra pair of ribs to
appear. Darwin noted that the pc
culiar adaptability for seal hunting
was transmitted from father to son
among the Eskimos and this discov-
cry of the thirteenth pair of ribs
helps to explain this hereditary pc
culiarity.
Nature seizes upon and develops
any popularity which assists any
species in fighting the terrific battle
for existence. If man should take
TO the trees for any reason no doubt
ne would in the course of ages de-
Yelop a powerful prehensile tail. to
assist him in clinging to the branches
for he has the markings" of such an
appendage still with him. If he was
placed in such surroundings that he
needed more ribs, these would be
forthcoming, and so on all the way
down the list
Of course a single individual can