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Related Concept Videos

Sutures of the Skull01:22

Sutures of the Skull

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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...
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Overview of the Skull01:08

Overview of the Skull

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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...
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Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View01:14

Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View

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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,...
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Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification01:29

Bone Formation by Intramembranous Ossification

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Intramembranous ossification is one of the two processes involved in the development of bones within an embryo. The flat bones of the face, most of the cranial bones, and the clavicles are formed via this process. During intramembranous ossification, the bones develop directly from sheets of undifferentiated mesenchymal connective tissue.
The process begins when mesenchymal cells in the embryonic skeleton gather together and differentiate into osteogenic cells, which then develop into ...
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Cranial Bones: Lateral View01:27

Cranial Bones: Lateral View

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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...
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Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

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Overview
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 23, 2025

Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
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Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology

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Bursts in skull evolution weakened with time.

Sharlene E Santana1,2, David M Grossnickle1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|October 27, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mammalian skull shapes diversified rapidly early in their evolutionary history. This rapid diversification shaped the diverse range of skull morphologies observed today.

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Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Comparative Anatomy

Background:

  • Mammalian skull evolution is a key area of study.
  • Understanding diversification rates provides insight into evolutionary processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the tempo of skull shape diversification in mammals.
  • To determine if diversification rates varied across mammalian history.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of fossil and extant mammalian skull morphology.
  • Phylogenetic methods to reconstruct evolutionary history.
  • Statistical modeling to quantify diversification rates.

Main Results:

  • Mammalian skull shapes diversified more rapidly during the early stages of their evolutionary history.
  • Diversification rates slowed down in later periods.
  • Specific clades showed unique diversification patterns.

Conclusions:

  • The early Cenozoic was a critical period for mammalian skull evolution.
  • Environmental changes and ecological opportunities likely drove rapid diversification.
  • These findings contribute to our understanding of macroevolutionary trends.