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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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Neurulation01:30

Neurulation

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Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...
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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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The Impact of Substrate Properties on the Kinematics of Locomotion in a Limb-Reduced Skink, Ablepharus kitaibelii (Squamata: Scincidae).

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Updated: Jul 6, 2025

Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to Assess Facial Development
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Dynamic evolutionary interplay between ontogenetic skull patterning and whole-head integration.

Joni Ollonen1, Eraqi R Khannoon2,3, Simone Macrì1

  • 1Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Nature Ecology & Evolution
|January 10, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Snake and lizard skull evolution resulted from gradual changes in spatial and temporal development. Sensory organs significantly influenced skull shape, revealing key insights into vertebrate craniofacial development.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Comparative anatomy

Background:

  • Vertebrate skull morphology is adaptable, reflecting function and ecology.
  • Underlying developmental and macroevolutionary mechanisms of skull diversity are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate developmental and evolutionary patterns of skull variation in squamate reptiles.
  • To analyze skull shape and covariation throughout ontogeny in snakes and lizards.

Main Methods:

  • Geometric morphometrics applied to a large dataset of squamate specimens (209 individuals, 169 embryos, 44 species).
  • Analysis spanned from early craniofacial development to fully ossified skulls.

Main Results:

  • Skull differences between snakes and lizards evolved via heterotopy (spatial changes) and heterochrony (timing/rate changes).
  • Phenotypic integration of the developing snake head is higher than in lizards, influenced by sensory organ development (eyes, nasal cavity, Jacobson's organ).

Conclusions:

  • Early embryonic and ontogenetic interactions, particularly sensory organ influence, are crucial for craniofacial evolution and diversification in squamates.
  • Findings offer insights into cranio-cerebral relationships across vertebrates.