The Vertebrate SkeletonReynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Science
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Reynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Skeleton
The most anterior and largest of these is the _dentary_ (figs. 44, 20,
and 45, 18), which forms the symphysis, and greater part of the
anterior half of the jaw, and bears along the outer part of its dorsal
border a number of sockets or =alveoli= in which the teeth are placed.
Lying along the inner side of the dentary is a large splint-like bone,
the _splenial_ (fig. 45, 19), which does not extend so far forwards as
the symphysis, and is separated from the dentary posteriorly by a
large cavity. Forming the lower part of all the posterior half of the
jaw is the large _angular_ (figs. 44, 22, and 45, 20), which underlies
the posterior part of the dentary in front and sends a long process
below that bone to the splenial. On the inner side of the jaw there is
an oval vacuity, the =internal mandibular foramen= (fig. 45, 28),
between the angular and the splenial; through this pass blood-vessels
and branches of the inferior dental nerve. Lying dorsal to the angular
is another large bone, the _supra-angular_ (figs. 44, 18, and 45, 21).
It extends back as far as the posterior end of the jaw and forwards
for some distance dorsal to the dentary and splenial. It forms part of
the posterior margin of a large vacuity, the =external mandibular
foramen=, which is bordered above and in front by the dentary and
below by the angular; it gives passage to the cutaneous branch of the
inferior dental nerve. The concave surface for articulation with the
mandible and much of the posterior end of the jaw is formed by a short
but solid bone, the =articular= (fig. 45, 22), which in young skulls
rather readily becomes detached. The remaining mandibular bone is the
_coronoid_ (fig. 45, 23), a very small bone of irregular shape
attached to the angular below, and to the supra-angular and splenial
above.
(_c_) THE HYOID.
The hyoid of the Crocodile consists of a wide flattened plate of
cartilage, the =basilingual plate= or =body of the hyoid=, and a pair
of =cornua=.
The =basilingual plate= (fig. 53, 1) is rounded anteriorly and marked
by a deep notch posteriorly. The =cornua= (fig. 53, 3), which are
attached at a pair of notches near the middle of the outer border of
the basilingual plate, are partly ossified, but their expanded ends
are formed of cartilage. They pass at first backwards and then upwards
and inwards. They are homologous with part of the first branchial
arches of Selachians.
The columella and extra-columella have been already described (p.
251).
C. THE RIBS AND STERNUM.
=Thoracic ribs.=
The Crocodile has ten pairs of =thoracic ribs=, all except the last
one or two of which consist of three parts,--a vertebral rib, an
intermediate rib and a sternal rib.
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