Human Evolution 1 - Skull Features

Foramen Magnum

The opening at the bottom of the skull through which the spinal cord passes - evolved from a posterior to a central location

Sagittal Crest

Top centre of skull responsible for muscle attachment from top of head to jaw - trend

reduction in size

Nuchal Crest

Back of skull responsible for muscle attachment to the neck - trend reduction in size

Brow Ridge

Part of skull that reinforces the face and eye sockets - trend reduction in size

Zygomatic Arches

Bony structure above cheeks that attach muscle to jaw - trend reduction in size

Mandible

Jaw - trend reduction in size

Cranial Capacity

Size of skull cavity for brain - increasing trend from ancestral to modern humans

Cerebral Folding

Main part of brain's amount of folds, number of folds are proportional to the number of neural connections - increasing trend from ancestral to modern humans

Cerebellum

'Little Brain' responsible for fine motor skills - increasing trend from ancestral to modern

humans

Motor/Sensory Cortex

2 gyri responsible for sensitivity and movement - trend of increasing in size for face, tongue and hands

Broca’s Area

Responsible for making sounds - trend increasing in size

Wernicke’s Area

Responsible for understanding sounds - trend increasing in size