The document summarizes the skull and visceral skeleton of various vertebrate groups. It describes the three parts of the vertebrate skull - neurocranium, dermatocranium, and splanchnocranium. It then discusses the development and ossification of the neurocranium. The dermatocranium and its membrane bones are also outlined. Finally, the visceral skeleton and jaw suspension mechanisms in sharks are briefly covered.
The document summarizes the skull and visceral skeleton of various vertebrate groups. It describes the three parts of the vertebrate skull - neurocranium, dermatocranium, and splanchnocranium. It then discusses the development and ossification of the neurocranium. The dermatocranium and its membrane bones are also outlined. Finally, the visceral skeleton and jaw suspension mechanisms in sharks are briefly covered.
The document summarizes the skull and visceral skeleton of various vertebrate groups. It describes the three parts of the vertebrate skull - neurocranium, dermatocranium, and splanchnocranium. It then discusses the development and ossification of the neurocranium. The dermatocranium and its membrane bones are also outlined. Finally, the visceral skeleton and jaw suspension mechanisms in sharks are briefly covered.
Lecture Notes: Animal Morphology & Anatomy by Ms. Manilyn C. Lopez
PARTIDO STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES Goa, Camarines Sur
LECTURE NOTES ON ANIMAL MORPHOLOGY AND ANATOMY
Topic: THE SKULL AND VISCERAL SKELETON
- The vertebrate skull consists of 3 parts: neurocranium, dermatocranium, and splanchnocranium. - Classification: Neurocranium Dermatocranium Splanchnocranium: visceral skeleton Palatoquadrate cartilage and replacement bones Meckel's cartilage and replacement bone Skeleton of the branchial arches 3. Neurocranium: primary braincase that (1) protects brain, (2) arises as cartilage, which (3) is replaced by bone (except in cartilaginous fish). Similar development occurs in all vertebrates. Formation: arises from paired prechordal and parachordal cartilage beneath the brain. Cartilage also develops around the olfactory and otic capsules (and may develop around the eye). As development progresses, parachordal cartilage unite to form the basal plate and unites with the otic capsules, while prechordal cartilage forms the ethmoid plate and unites with the olfactory cartilage. Further development involves formation of walls and, in lower vertbrates, a cartilaginous roof (tectum). Fenestra and foramina accomodate blood vessels and cranial nerves. Parachordal cartilage arises from mesenchyme of the lateral plate mesoderm, while prechordal cartilage arises from neural crest ectoderm. Cartilaginous neurocrania in adult vertebrates: Cyclostomes: individual components remain more or less independent throughout life. Cartilaginous fish: components unite to form an adult chondrocranium which encloses the brain. Lower bony fish: a cartilaginous neurocranium persists in adult chondrosteans and holosteans. However, this cartilage is overlain with dermal bone.
2 Lecture Notes: Animal Morphology & Anatomy by Ms. Manilyn C. Lopez Ossification centers in the neurocranium: multiple, separate areas where endochondral ossification occurs in bony vertebrates. Major regional groups include: Occipital centers - as many as four areas around the foramen magnum (2 exoccipitals, basioccipital, and supraoccipital) Sphenoid centers - under the midbrain and pituitary gland include the basisphenoid and presphenoid. These together with lateral sphenoid elements (orbitosphenoid, pleurosphenoid) form the adult sphenoid bone. Ethmoid centers - anterior to sphenoid. Form the ethmoid plate and olfactory capsules. Ethmoid tends to remain cartilaginous even in mammals. Cribiform plate allows passage of olfactory nerves to the olfactory epithelium. Otic centers - several bones form here and may be replaced or fuse together, eg. the prootics, opisthotic, and epiotics unite to form the petrosal bone which then fuses with the squamosal bone to form a temporal bone. 4. Dermatocranium: these are the membrane bones of the skull and may have originated in the bony dermal armor of the ostracoderms. In modern vertebrates including man, membrane bones of the head originate from subdermal mesenchyme of neural crest and lateral plate mesoderm rather than dermal mesenchyme. Basic structural elements include roofing bones of the neurocranium, marginal bones of the upper jaw, bones of the primary palate, and opercular bones. Roofing bones: paired and unpaired bones that in crossopterygians extend down the mid-dorsal line from the nares to the occiput. Include nasals, frontals, parietals, and dermoccipitals. Around the orbit of the eye were the lacrimal, prefrontal, postfrontal, postorbital, and jugal. At the posterior angle of the skull were intertemporal, supratemporal, tabular, squamosal, and quadrojugal bones. Marginal bones (upper jaw): palatoquadrate cartilage becomes ensheathed by premaxillae and maxillae. Primary palatal bones: form the roof of the oropharyngeal cavity. In crossopterygeans and primative tetrapods, these membrane bones included a parasphenoid and paired volmers, palatines, pterygoids, and ectopterygoids. The primary palate is still present in modern tetrapods as the roof of the nasal cavity. The oral and nasal cavities are divided by a secondary palate.
Opercular bones: protect the operculum, a flap of tissue from the hyoid arch. When present, opercular bones are dermal. Absent in tetrapods. Major bones include the opercular, preoperculars, suboperculars, and interoperculars.
3 Lecture Notes: Animal Morphology & Anatomy by Ms. Manilyn C. Lopez
Skull and Visceral Skeleton II Neurocranial-Dermatocranial complex of bony fish: 1. Chondrosteans: this superorder includes the spoonbill and paddlefish. In these animals the neurocranium remains cartilaginous throughout life. Traces of ossification occur in the otic capsules and in that portion of the sphenoid that contributes to the orbit of the eye. Dermal bones may obscure the neurocranium. 2. Holosteans: Bowfin and garfish have skulls similar to the chondrosteans with the neurocrania remaining mostly cartilaginous. Most obvious are the dermal bones which are sculptured to correspond to the underside of the dermis. 3. Teleosts: modern teleosts show skulls which are highly specialized and diverse, corresponding to the diverse feeding habits of this group. Bones associated with the jaws of a typical teleost include the maxillae, premaxillae, dentary, articular, quadrate and symplectic. Common roofing bones are the frontal, parietal, supraoccipital, and posttemporal. 4. Dipnoans: lungfish have similarities to all of the previous groups and yet show obvious differences. Typically the dipnoan skull is more conservative. The dermatocranium has evolved into only a few bony plates while the neurocranium remains cartilaginous. The Neurocranial-Dermatocranial complex of modern tetrapods 1. Amphibians: neurocranium incomplete dorsally and largely cartilaginous. Articulating with the otic capsule is the columella which conducts sound from the eardrum to the capsule (comes from the hyomandibula). Dermatocranium lacks the bones that surround the orbit except for the lacrimal and prefrontal. Temporal bones are also missing or reduced. In the otic region, only the squamosal and quadrojugal remain. The primary palate has been altered to accomodate the eyes. 2. Reptiles: living orders show a well ossified neurocranium with a single occipital condyle and a larger number of membrane bones than amphibians. Many possess a parietal foramen, temporal fossae, and a complete secondary palate. Temporal fossae: openings in the temporal region of amniotes bounded by one or more bony arches. Early stem reptiles had none (anapsid), which is also the condition in modern turtles. The synapsid condition involves a temporal fossa bounded by postorbital, squamosal, and jugal bones; today this is the zygomatic arch of the mammalian skull. The diapsid skull was characteristic of ancestral snakes and lizards. Extant snakes and lizards, have modified diapsid skulls. Secondary palates: appear first in reptiles as a horizontal partition that divides the oral cavity into oral and nasal passages. In crocodilians, palatal processes of the premaxillae, maxillae, palatine, and pterygoid bones meet in the midline to form a secondary palate. In mammals, the premaxillae (not in humans), maxillae, and palatine bones form the secondary palate. Cranial kinesis: independent movement of one or more parts of the neurocranial-dermatocranial complex. In the case of lizards, the quadrate, upper jaw, orbital bones, and the parietal bone may move as a unit, independent of the braincase. 3. Birds: similar to reptilian skull with modifications for flight and feeding. Some roofing bones lost; dermal bones reduced. 4. Mammals: here the dentary bone becomes the sole bone of the lower jaw. Neurocranium incomplete with fontanels in newborns.
4 Lecture Notes: Animal Morphology & Anatomy by Ms. Manilyn C. Lopez Bregmatic bones may ossify in the frontal fontanele of some species (a single bone is sometimes found in humans). Ossification centers in the neurocranium are similar to those previously described. Dermatocranium represented by pairs of premaxillae, maxillae, jugals, nasals, lacrimals, and squamosals. Frontals, parietals, and interparietals complete the series.
The Visceral Skeleton: The splanchnocranium is the skeleton of the pharyngeal arches in fish (jaws and gill arches) and has given rise to some very interesting structural components in mammals. 1. Sharks: visceral skeleton consists of cartilage in each arch as well as median basihyal and basibranchial cartilages in the floor of the pharynx. First arch modified for feeding as the mandibular arch. Consists of the palatoquadrate and Meckel's cartilages. The second, or hyoid arch, components include the hyomandibular (dorsally) and ceratohyal (lateral) cartilage. Articulation of the palatoquadrate and Meckel's cartilages includes the hyomandibular in a movable joint. The hyomandibula is bound by ligaments to the otic capsule and thus suspends the jaws from the neurocranium: hyostylic jaw suspension. Amphystylic attachment, where the palatoquadrate is attached at several locations to the neurocranium, is seen in some ancient sharks. Autostylic attachment occurs when the palatoquadrate is fused to the neurocranium.
2. Bony fish: embryonic cartilage is ensheathed by membrane bone. Palatoquadrate is overgrown by premaxillae and maxillae. Palatal region replaced by palatine and ectopterygoids while the posterior tip ossifies to form the quadrate bone. The caudal end of Meckel's cartilage forms the articular bone, while the remainder forms the dentary, surangular, and angular bones. Hyoid cartilages form symplectic, interhyals, and epihyals. Articulation of the jaw may involve the symplectic and quadrate, or symplectic, quadrate, and lower jaw. 3. Tetrapods: modifications of visceral skeleton correspond with adaptational changes for terrestrial life. Palatoquadrate and Meckel's cartilage become ensheathed by dermal bones: premaxillae, maxillae, and palatal bones (palatoquadrate); quadrate becomes site of articulation with lower jaw in tetrapods below mammals (becomes incus in mammals); Dentary, angular, surangular, splenial, coronoids, prearticulars, and articulars form in Meckel's (articular bone articulates with quadrate, except mammals where it forms the malleus). A new articulation formed between the dentary bone and the squamosal, now known as the temporomandibular joint. Note that mammals have only the dentary bone forming the lower jaw. Remember the the hyomandibula becomes the stapes (columella). The remainder of the visceral skeleton contributes to the support of the larynx.