[Development and growth of the vault of the skull]

The vault of the skull is a region of the neurocranium formed by a process of membranous ossification. It consists of several bones: frontal bone, parietal bone, squamous part of the temporal bone, lamina ascendens of the sphenoid, and interparietal bone. The embryological origin of the bones of the skull vault is still the subject of controversy. This can be explained by the different animal models used for these purposes, but also by the various techniques applied to this problem. At all events, it seems that the cells of the neural crest generate some of the bones of the vault and that the others are derived from the mesoderm. This uncertainty should lead readers to be extremely cautious before using the presumptive maps published in the literature. Several tissues interact with osteo-progenitor cells: neural tube, surface ectoderm and dura mater. Analysis of genes in which mutations lead to abnormalities of the skull vault has partly revealed the molecular interactions. These are very complex and are the field of very numerous experimental investigations. In the relatively near future, we can hope to discover some of the molecular networks leading to the formation of these bony structures.