GLOSSARY of Skullological Terminology

Alveolus
The socket into which the root of a tooth fits.
Angle
The lower back corner of the lower jaw.
Anterior
Towards the front.
Ascending Ramus of Jaw
The more or less vertical part of the jawbone which carries the joint with
the skull.
Brachycephalic
Short-headed. Referring to breeds of dog such as boxers, with
forshortened snouts.
Braincase
Part of the skull containing the brain.
Bulla
Bulbous part of the ear bones.
Bunodont
Low-crowned, rectangular grinding teeth, typical of the molars of
omnivores such as bears and primates.
Canines
The four teeth in the front corners of the mouth. Usually large and
pointed in carnivores, but may be small or absent in herbivores. They are
the first teeth in the maxilla, called eye-teeth in humans.
Carnassials
Scissor-like teeth of carnivores specialised for shearing flesh. The last
upper premolars and first lower molars.
Carnivore dentition
Tooth pattern found in most meat-eaters, featuring prominent canine
teeth with shearing carnassial cheek teeth.
Cheek teeth
The teeth behind the canines, usually divided into molars and premolars.
Choanae
Where the rear edge of the palate has a central projection (e.g. in dogs),
the choanae are the indentations on each side.
Colonic Literature
Academic papers incorporating in their titles a superfluous subtitle
separated by a colon.
Condylar process
Smoothly rounded projection from the rear of the dentary where the
lower jaw articulates with the skull.
Condyle
Smooth rounded projection of bone which forms a bearing or articulating
surface in a moveable joint.
Condylobasal length

Coronoid process
The back part of the lower jaw which rises up.
Cranium
 The skull without the lower jaw.
Dentary
Bone forming one side of the lower jaw.
Dentition
The full set of teeth. Most mammals have specialised carnivore,
herbivore or insectivore dentition. Dental formulas are given for most of
the skulls illustrated.
Diastema
A long natural gap in a row of teeth, especially that between the incisors
(or canines) and the cheek teeth in herbivores.
Dolichocephalic
Long headed. Referring to breeds of dog such as collies and
greyhounds.
Dorsal
Concerning the top: e.g. "dorsal view" is a view from the top.
Epiphysis
The smooth, rounded or curved area at the end of a bone, forming an
articulating surface of a joint. In young animals epiphyses are separated
from the main body of the bone by a layer of cartilage, to allow for
growth. The timing of their fusion gives a clue as to the age of the
individual.
Eurokaryotic
Conforming to EU legislation on chromosome number.
Foramen
Hole in a bone for nerves and blood vessels.
Foramen magnum
Large opening in the back of the skull, through which the spinal cord
leaves the brain. The occipital condyles lie on either side.
Frontal bones
Form the top, front part of the braincase.
Herbivore dentition
Tooth pattern found in typical plant-eaters such as cattle and rabbits.
Prominent incisors are separated from the cheek teeth by a long
diastema.
Horn core
Porous bone projecting from the frontal bone, on which the horn grows.
Incisiform
Shaped like an incisor. In some herbivores, especially deer, the lower
canine teeth form part of the row of incisors instead of being cylindrical
and pointed.
Incisors
Front teeth, between the canines. Upper incisors grow from the
premaxilla, but other upper teeth grow from the maxilla.
Infraorbital foramen
A large hole in the side of the maxilla, usually in front of or below the
orbit.
Insectivore dentition
Teeth mostly simple points, as in the hedgehog, mole and shrews.
Interorbital width

Interparietal bone
Lies between the parietal bones and the occipital bone. Useful in
separating rabbits and hares.
Jaw length

Lacrimal bone
Forms the front edge of the orbit. Large and distinct in hoofed mammals,
but small in most other species.
Lacrimal pit
A depression in the lacrimal bone.
Lagomorph
The group containing rabbits, hares and pikas.
Lateral
Concerning the side. e.g. "lateral view" is a view from the side.
top of page

Lophodont
A tooth with the cusps elongated to form narrow ridges.
Maxilla
Bone forming the main part of the upper jaw on each side, supporting the
canines and cheek teeth.
Molars
The rear cheek teeth which do not have equivalent milk teeth.
Mustelid
Sub-group of the Carnivores, including stoats, polecats, badgers and
otters.
Nasal bones
Forming the upper surface of the muzzle.
Nasal length

Occipital bone
Forming the back of the skull. Contains the foramen magnum.
Occipital condyles
Smooth, rounded knobs on each side of the foramen magnum, where the
skull articulates with the first vertebra. Mammals have two occipital
condyles, birds and reptiles have only one.
Occipital crest
A ridge formed where the parietal bones join the occipital bone, across
the top, back part of the skull.
Orbit
The eye socket.
Orbital diameter

Orthodont
Normal rodent upper incisors, pointing downwards. (see pro-odont)
Palate
The surface forming the roof of the mouth.
Parietal bones
 Form the top, back part of the skull.
Posterior
Towards the rear.
Postorbital process
Projection from the frontal bone that marks the rear, upper edge of the
eye socket.

Postorbital constriction

Premaxillas
Bones forming the front tip of the upper jaw.
Premolars
Cheek teeth lying between the canines (or incisors, if canines are
absent) and the molars.
Pro-odont
Rodent incisors which point forwards. (see orthodont)
Ramus
The main horizontal part of the lower jaw.
Root
The part of a tooth embedded in the jaw. Teeth may have from 1 to 5
roots.
Rootless
Continuously growing tooth which is the same in cross-section all the
way down to the basewhere it is embedded in the jaw. The base of the
tooth does not divide into roots.
Rostrum
Bones of the muzzle.
Sagittal crest
Ridge running lengthwise along the top of the braincase.
Selenodont
Teeth with a crown pattern of longitudinal crescentic ridges.
Suture
Immovable joint between bones.
Temporal Ridge
Ridge on the side of the cranium marking the upper limit of the
temporalis muscle. In some species they develope with age, and may
also migrate towards the top of the skull to form an interparietalridge (e.g.
badger).
Unicuspid
Teeth with a single cusp or point, e.g. the simple conical teeth of
insectivores.
Ventral
Concerning the underneath: e.g. a ventral view is a view from the bottom.
Zygomatic Arch
The cheekbone. Curved bone forming an arch along the side of the skull
below the orbit.
Zygomatic width
 SKULL MEASUREMENTS
Measurement Abbreviation Description
The length of the skull, measured from the front of
Condylobasal
CB the premaxilliary bones to the rear surface of the
length
occipital condyles.
Interorbital Minimum distance between the upper edges of the
IW
width orbits, measured across the top of the skull.
The length of the lower jaw, from the front tip of the
Jaw length JL
dentary bone to the angle.
Maximum The maximum width across the alveoli of the cheek
PW
palate width teeth.
Minimum The minimum width across the palate, measured
MW
palate width behind the canines.
Nasal length NL Overall length of the nasal bones.
Orbital Maximum diameter of orbit, from rim to rim. May be
OD
diameter specified as (horizontal) length or (vertical) height.
Maximum dimension of the skull when laid on level
Overall length OL
surface.
From the front of the alveolus of a first incisor, to
Palate length PL one of the choanae on the same side at the rear of
the palate.
Postorbital Diameter of the narrowest part of the braincase
PC
constriction immediately behind the orbits.
Zygomatic The maximum width across the zygomatic arches
ZW
width (cheekbones).