Skull bones and sutures

• Several websites offer digital 3D models of the skull in various views.
• Many bones have numbered features that can be clicked for a description; Numbers include ROGER, BlueLink, and Burns.
• Additional sites exist for specific bones.
• At eskeletons.org, one can choose: -Taxon: Human (male, adult) -Click on skull (bones light up when cursor hovers) -Bone in middle column -Choose 3D Model or view -View options: anterior, distal, lateral -Morphology for osteology labels or Origin/Insertion for muscle attachments.

Sutures

• Metopic Suture
• Coronal Suture
• Sagittal Suture: ROGER 5
• Lambdoidal Suture
• Squamosal Suture
• Basilar Suture

Bones and Features: Frontal

• Temporal lines: ROGER 5, origin of temporalis
• Zygomatic processes: ROGER 6
• Superciliary arches: ROGER 10
• Supraorbital notch or foramen: ROGeR 11
• Frontal crest (falx cerebri attachment): ROGeR 1e
• Sagittal sulcus (for superior sagittal sinus): ROGeR 2e
• Orbital plates (horizontal portion): ROGER 5e
• Frontal sinus

Ethmoid

• Cribriform plate: BlueLink 1, transmits olfactory nerves/CN I*
• Crista galli: falx cerebri attachment
• Labyrinths (lateral masses)
• Perpendicular plate

Parietals

• Parietals side²: ROGeR 1
• Temporal lines: ROGER 3, origin of temporalis
• Meningeal grooves: ROGeR 12e

Temporals

• Temporals side: ROGER 6
• Petrous pyramid
• Zygomatic process: ROGER 7
• Mastoid process: ROGER 8, attachment of sternocleidomastoid
• Digastric groove (mastoid notch): ROGER 9, origin of posterior digastric
• Mandibular (glenoid) fossa: ROGeR 10
• External auditory/acoustic meatus: ROGER 11
• Internal auditory/acoustic meatus: BlueLink 7, transmits facial (VII) and vestibulocochlear (VIII) nerves
• Stylomastoid foramen: transmits facial nerve/CN VII
• Styloid process: attachment of stylohyoid ligament
• Carotid canal: transmits internal carotid artery
• Sigmoid sulcus for sigmoid sinus

Auditory (Ear) Ossicles

• Malleus (hammer)
• Incus (anvil)
• Stapes (stirrup)

Occipital

• Occipital: ROGER 8
• External occipital protuberance: ROGeR 1
• Occipital condyles (articulate with atlas vertebra): ROGER 3
• External occipital crest: ROGER 4
• Foramen magnum transmits brain stem: ROGeR 7, BlueLink 9
• Nuchal lines: ROGER 12
• Cruciform eminence: ROGER 6e
• Internal occipital crest: ROGER 8e
• Transverse sulci (for transverse sinuses): ROGER 9e
• Jugular notch and foramen: BlueLink 8, transmits internal jugular vein, glossopharyngeal (IX), vagus (X), and accessory (XI) nerves
• Hypoglossal canals: ROGER 10e, BlueLink 10, transmit hypoglossal nerve/CN XII
• Cerebellar fossae (house cerebellar lobes): ROGER 11e
• Cerebral fossae (house occipital lobes)
• Occipital (sagittal) sulcus (for sagittal sinus)
• Basilar part (basioccipital)

Palatines

• Palatines side: ROGeR 16e
• Horizontal plate
• Perpendicular (vertical) plate
• Conchal crest

Inferior Nasal Conchae

• Inferior Nasal Conchae side

Vomer

• Alae (wings)
• Perpendicular plate

Lacrimals

• Lacrimals side: ROGER 4
• Posterior lacrimal crest

Nasals

• Nasals side: ROGER 3

Zygomatics

• Zygomatics side
• Temporal process: ROGeR 2
• Maxillary process: ROGER 8
• Frontal process: ROGeR 10
• Masseteric origin: ROGER 6, origin of masseter

Maxillae

• Maxillae side: ROGER 5
• Infraorbital foramen: ROGER 1
• Alveolar process: ROGeR 7
• Zygomatic process: ROGER 9
• Frontal process: ROGeR 11
• Anterior nasal spine: ROGER 12
• Alveoli
• Maxillary sinus
• Palatine process
• Incisive foramen

Mandible

• Body corpus, horizontal ramus
• Mental foramen
• Mylohyoid line: attachment of mylohyoid
• Mandibular symphysis
• Mental protuberance (eminence): chin
• (Ascending) ramus
• Mandibular condyle
• Coronoid process: insertion of temporalis
• Mandibular notch
• Angle (gonial angle): insertion of masseter
• Masseteric tuberosity and fossa: insertion of masseter
• Mandibular foramen

Sphenoid

• Body
• Sphenoidal sinuses
• Optic canals: BlueLink 2, Burns 3, transmit optic nerve/CN II
• Sella turcica (Turkish saddle): Burns 1, ROGER 14e
• Hypophyseal (pituitary) fossa: ROGeR 13e, houses pituitary gland
• Dorsum sellae
• Posterior clinoid processes
• Anterior clinoid processes
• Lesser wings: ROGeR 15e
• Greater wings
• Orbital surfaces
• Superior orbital fissures: BlueLink 5, transmit oculomotor (III), trochlear (IV), abducent (VI), and ophthalmic division of trigeminal (V₁) nerves
• Foramen rotundum: BlueLink 3, transmits maxillary division of trigeminal nerve/V2
• Foramen ovale: BlueLink 6, transmits mandibular division of trigeminal nerve/V3
• Foramen spinosum: BlueLink 4
• Pterygoid processes
• Lateral & medial pterygoid plates: Burns 5, 6, origin of lateral & medial pterygoids
• Pterygoid fossae: Burns 7

Additional Notes

• It is important to know the bones (underlined), bony features (numbered), and related soft tissue characteristics (e.g., nerves and muscles) in bold.
• For paired bones, one must be able to side them; i.e., distinguish the right side from the left.
• Cranial nerves can be known by name OR number. Either one is acceptable on the quiz.
• Sex Estimation: distinguish female from male skulls.
• Aging: distinguish an unfused from a fused basilar suture.