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Related Concept Videos

Overview of the Skull01:08

Overview of the Skull

The cranium (skull) is the skeletal structure of the head that supports the face and protects the brain. It is subdivided into the facial bones and the brain case, or cranial vault. The facial bones underlie the facial structures, form the nasal cavity, enclose the eyeballs, and support the teeth of the upper and lower jaws.
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...
Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View01:14

Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View

The superior view of the cranium shows the frontal and paired parietal bones.
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
Cranial Bones: Lateral View01:27

Cranial Bones: Lateral View

The lateral view of the cranium is dominated by temporal, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
Sutures of the Skull01:22

Sutures of the Skull

The human skull is composed of several bones that come together to protect the brain and support the structures of the face. The junctions where these bones meet are called sutures.
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...
Cranial Nerves: Overview and Anatomy01:19

Cranial Nerves: Overview and Anatomy

The cranial nerves are an important part of the complex network of nerves in the human body. These nerves emerge directly from the brain and are responsible for transmitting essential information between the brain and various parts of the head and neck. There are 12 pairs of cranial nerves, systematically numbered using Roman numerals from I to XII, beginning from the anterior and moving to the posterior of the brain. Each cranial nerve is uniquely identified by names that reflect its function...
Increased Intracranial Pressure l: Introduction01:14

Increased Intracranial Pressure l: Introduction

Intracranial hypertension is a sustained elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP) above 22 mm Hg. In supine adults, normal ICP is ~7–15 mm Hg.The rigid, nonexpandable cranium contains three components—brain tissue, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)—that total ~1,700 mL in a typical adult: 1,400 mL brain (~80%), 150 mL blood (~10%), and 150 mL CSF (~10%). According to the Monro–Kellie doctrine, total intracranial volume is effectively fixed. When one component expands, CSF and venous blood...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Analysis of Craniomaxillofacial Malformations in Mice Using Three-dimensional Microcomputed Tomography
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Published on: January 17, 2025

Basicranial influence on overall cranial shape.

D E Lieberman1, O M Pearson, K M Mowbray

  • 1Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, 2110 G St, NW, Washington, DC 20052, USA. danlieb@gwu.edu

Journal of Human Evolution
|February 5, 2000
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cranial base breadth, not length or flexion, significantly impacts skull proportions by interacting with brain volume. This relationship influences facial shape and explains variations like occipital buns in humans and Neanderthals.

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Area of Science:

  • Human evolution
  • Anthropometry
  • Developmental biology

Background:

  • Cranial base dimensions and brain volume are key factors in skull development.
  • Understanding the interplay between these elements is crucial for explaining morphological variations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how cranial base dimensions (length, breadth, flexion) interact with brain volume.
  • To model developmental interactions within the neuro-basicranial complex (NBC) and its influence on facial proportions.
  • To test this model across diverse human populations.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized exocranial and radiographic measurements from adult crania of five diverse populations.
  • Applied statistical analysis to examine correlations between cranial base dimensions, brain volume, and skull proportions.

Main Results:

  • Cranial base breadth (POB) significantly affects cranial proportions, primarily through its interaction with brain volume influencing NBC breadth.
  • NBC width constrains facial width, impacting overall facial shape.
  • Large brains on narrow cranial bases correlate with posterior occipital bone projection (occipital buns) in modern humans.

Conclusions:

  • Cranial base breadth is a critical determinant of cranial and facial morphology, modulated by brain volume.
  • Developmental integration between the cranial base and brain explains certain morphological variations, including occipital buns.
  • Differences in cranial base width relative to brain volume may explain variations in occipital bun morphology between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.