What was Samuel Morton trying to prove?
In the 1830s and 1840s, American craniologist Samuel Morton collected and measured hundreds of human skulls in what he described as an attempt to compare the brain size of five human racial groups.
Who came up with craniology?
In the last decade of the 18th century, Franz Joseph Gall of Vienna invented a combination of physiognomy and brain localization that he originally called “craniology” (the science of the head) and later called “organology” (the science of the organs of the brain).
What did Samuel Morton do?
Samuel Morton, a Philadelphia physician and founder of the field of craniometry, collected skulls from around the world and developed techniques for measuring them. He thought he could identify racial differences between these skulls.
How many skulls are in the Morton Collection?
1,300 crania
What is the Morton Cranial Collection? The Morton Collection is made up of more than 1,300 crania, including skulls from enslaved individuals. About 900 crania were acquired by Philadelphia-based physician and anatomy lecturer Samuel George Morton during the 1830s and 1840s.
Does skull size determine brain size?
Preliminary studies have suggested links between brain size, head size, and IQ, but head circumference isn’t directly correlated with intellect. Among the many things that expectant parents hope for in a newborn is, a big head — maybe not so much at birth, but shortly thereafter.
What is craniology theory?
Craniology is the study of differences in shape, size and proportions among skulls from various human races.
What does craniology mean?
Definition of craniology : the comparative study of the size, shape, and proportions of skulls.
When did schools stop being segregated?
These lawsuits were combined into the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case that outlawed segregation in schools in 1954. But the vast majority of segregated schools were not integrated until many years later.
How did Samuel Morton get his skulls?
Morton amassed his collection of human skulls when he worked at the Academy of Natural Sciences. The collection was transferred to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in 1966.