1. Skull Studies

2. Skeleton Framework of an animal’s body
Gives shape, support, and protection
Vertebrates, endoskeleton
Muscle attachment allowing for movement
Skull portion includes teeth and bone plates

3. Skeleton is a result of evolutionary change
Animal adaptation to their environment
Role or niche
Analyzing an animal’s skeletal structures of vertebrates
Infer its eating habits
Environmental lifestyle

4. The Skull Mammal skulls are made up of two series of bones
Paired bones
Unpaired bones

5. Paired Bones of the Skull
Back of the skull
Parietals, towards the back of the skull
Frontals, front of the skull
Maxillas, under the eyes
Premaxillas, under the nose (not present in humans)
Nasal

6. Underneath the Skull
Palatines, roof of mouth

7. On the Sides of the Skull
Zygomatic, cheekbones (squamosal flat, and jugal point)
Orbit, protecting the eyes (temporal fossa, opening behind the orbit)

8. On the Top of the Skull
Sagittal Crest, midline toward the rear of the head, develops on the parietals. Temporal muscle attachment.

9. Unpaired Bones of the Skull
Back to Front
Occipital
Bassioccipital, between the auditory bulla
Preshenoid, indention b/w bassiocciptal & palatine
Vomer (inner nasal bone, laying on maxilla)
Occipital condyles, points of movement between the skull and the backbone
Foramen magnum, passes the spinal cord

10. From the Bottom Auditory bullae, houses the inner ear Rostrum
Inside the nasal area there are visible scroll – like convolutions of nasal turbinates
Support the moist membranes of the nose

11. Lower Jaw Mandibles join in the front
Back of each side is the mandibular condyle, joined to the skull
Coronoid process, tall wing-like area of the jaw where some of the muscles that close the jaw attach

12. The Teeth Four types of teeth Incisors, 3 lie in the premaxilla
Used for nipping and pulling of food
Canines, long and curved sharp conical tooth
Used for piercing
Premolars, sharp and have one main point or cusp
Used to grasp and tear
Molars, triangular teeth with strong blunt cusp
Used for crushing, lower jaw may have fewer molars
Carnassial shearing tooth is the first molar in the lower jaw and fourth premolar in the upper jaw (carnivore)

13. Dental Formula Used to identify species
Short hand used to write the dental formula
ICPM
Fraction show upper then lower teeth for one side
Example, Canine I 3/3 , C 1/1, PM ¾, M 3/2

14. Carnivore Sharp serrated edges to tear and cut flesh
Incisors, narrow, smaller teeth, sharp edges
Canines, highly developed, longer for gripping and tearing
Premolars, twin conical peaks used for cutting
Molars, serrated used for cutting

15. Herbivore Flat molars, no canines or premolars
Adaptations in dental structure reflect methods of obtaining food
Rodents (Muskrat), gnawing long curved incisors (orange)
Browsing (Deer), incisors present in mandible not in maxilla, molars flat and well formed
Cropping (Horse), sharp edge incisors both jaws

16. Omnivore
Great variety of sizes and shapes, basic structure is the same
Well developed incisors, canines, molars
Combination of herbivore and carnivore
Humans, bears, pigs

17. Insectivore
Conical narrow teeth for piercing exoskeletons
Opossum