The Vertebrate SkeletonReynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Science
The Vertebrate Skeleton
Reynolds, Sidney H. (Sidney Hugh)
Skeleton
In front of the nasal openings the face is prolonged as a narrow beak
or rostrum of varying length, formed by the maxillae and premaxillae
surrounding the vomer and large mesethmoid (fig. 93, 11), which sends
forwards a long partially cartilaginous process, and is fused behind
with the presphenoid (fig. 93, 8). The basi-occipital (fig. 93, 1) too
is fused with the basisphenoid. The foramen rotundum is confluent with
the sphenoidal fissure, and the foramen ovale with the foramen lacerum
medium and the foramen lacerum posterius. The palate is mainly formed
by the maxillae; the premaxillae and palatines (fig. 93, 17), though
both meet in symphyses, forming very little of it. The pterygoids vary
in size in the different genera, sometimes as in _Lagenorhynchus_ and
_Delphinus_ meeting in the middle line, sometimes as in _Phocaena_ and
_Globicephalus_ (fig. 93, 18) being widely separated. The tympanic and
periotic are not fused together, and the periotic has generally no
bony union with the rest of the skull. The mandible is rather slightly
developed, with the rami straight, compressed and tapering to the
anterior end. The condyle is not raised at all above the edge of the
ramus; the angle is rounded and the coronoid process is very small.
_Platanista_ has a curiously modified skull; the rostrum and mandible
are exceedingly long and narrow, and arising from the maxillae are two
great plates of bone which nearly meet above.
In the Physeteridae the skull is raised into a very prominent crest at
the vertex behind the nares. In front of this in _Hyperoödon_ a pair
of ridges occur, formed by outgrowths from the maxillae. In the old
male these ridges reach an enormous size and almost meet in the middle
line. In _Physeter_, the Sperm whale, these ridges are not developed;
the maxillae and premaxillae unite with the other bones of the crest
enclosing an enormous half basin-shaped cavity, at the base of which
are the very asymmetrical anterior narial apertures.
In all living Cetacea the hyoid has the same general shape, consisting
firstly of a crescentic bone formed by the fusion of the thyro-hyals
with the basi-hyal, and secondly of the anterior cornu formed
principally by the strong stylo-hyal.
UNGULATA. None of the distinctive characters separating the Ungulata
from the other groups of mammals are drawn from the skull. But in the
Ungulata vera as opposed to the Subungulata a distinguishing feature
is found in the fact that the lachrymal and jugal form a considerable
part of the side of the face, and that the jugal always forms the
anterior part of the zygomatic arch, the maxillae taking no part in it.
UNGULATA VERA.
_ARTIODACTYLA._ The skull in Artiodactyla differs from that in
Perissodactyla in the fact that the posterior end of the nasal is not
expanded and there is no alisphenoid canal.
The skulls in the different groups of Artiodactyla differ considerably
from one another.
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