The Vertebrate Skeleton

by Sidney H. Reynolds

There are a number of points in which the skull of the Duplicidentata (Hares and Rabbits) differs from that of other Rodents. (a) The sutures between the basi-occipital and basisphenoid, and between the basisphenoid and presphenoid remain open throughout life. (b) Much of the maxillae forming the side of the face in front of the orbit is fenestrated. (c) The optic foramina are united to form a single hole, much as in birds. (d) The coronoid process is slightly differentiated from the ascending portion of the mandible. The first two of these points have been thought to indicate degradation of the hares and rabbits as compared with higher mammals.

Carnivora[167]. It is characteristic of the skull in Carnivora that the glenoid fossa is deep, and the postglenoid process (fig. 75, 23) well developed. The condyle of the mandible is much elongated transversely. The orbit and temporal fossa in the great majority of forms communicate freely, the postorbital bar being incomplete.

Carnivora vera. The axis of the facial portion of the skull is a direct continuation of that of the cranial portion. The cranial cavity though rather depressed is large, and generally long, though in Cats it is comparatively short and wide. The occipital plane is nearly vertical, and the exoccipitals are developed into fairly prominent paroccipital processes. The interparietal is commonly distinct, and the parietals unite in a long sagittal suture, which is often developed into a crest. The nasals (fig. 73, 4) are well developed, especially in Cats, and the nasal processes of the premaxillae do not nearly reach the frontals. A considerable part of the palate is formed by the palatine, and the maxillary portion is pierced by rather long anterior palatine foramina. The pterygoid has a hamular process. The zygomatic arch is strong, especially in Cats. Postorbital processes are developed on the frontal (fig. 73, 10) and jugal, but never form a complete postorbital bar. A carotid canal is well seen in the Ursidae, and to a less extent in the Felidae; in the Canidae there is an alisphenoid canal (fig. 75, 21).

The auditory bulla differs a good deal in the different groups. In the Bears (Ursidae) it is not much inflated, and is most prominent along its inner border; it is not closely connected with the paroccipital process. In the Cats it is very prominent, and its cavity is almost divided by a septum into two parts, the inner of which contains the auditory ossicles. The paroccipital process is closely applied to the bulla. In the Dogs the bulla is intermediate in character between that of the Cats and that of the Bears; it is partially divided by a septum, and is moderately expanded.

The mandible is well developed with a prominent angle (fig. 72, 26), and a large coronoid process. The hyoid consists of a broad basi-hyal, a long many-jointed anterior cornu and short thyro-hyals (fig. 72, 33).

The skull in the Creodonta is in most respects allied to that of the Canidae, but presents some ursine affinities. The tympanic bulla is fairly prominent, but has no well-developed septum. The cranial cavity is very small and narrow, the zygomatic arch standing away from it. The temporal fossa is of great size.

In the Pinnipedia the cranial cavity is large and rounded. The skull is much compressed in the interorbital region, and in correlation with this compression the ethmo-turbinals are little developed, while the maxillo-turbinals are large. The orbit is large, and the temporal fossa smaller than in the Carnivora vera. In the Walrus (Trichechus) the anterior part of the face is distorted by the development of the huge canines. The Otariidae have an alisphenoid canal. The tympanic bulla is small in Otaria, large in the Phocidae, and flattened in the Walrus. The hyoid is similar to that in Carnivora vera.

Insectivora. The skull varies much in the different members of the order Insectivora, but the following points of agreement are found. The cranial cavity is of small size, and is never much elevated. The facial part of the skull is generally considerably elongated, and the nasals and premaxillae are well developed. The zygomatic arch is usually slender or incomplete, and the coronoid process and angle of the mandible are commonly prominent.

In some Insectivora, such as Galeopithecus, Tupaia, and Macroscelides, the skull shows a higher type of structure than is met with in most members of the order. In these genera the cranial cavity is comparatively large, and the occipital plane is nearly vertical. The zygomatic arch is fairly strong, and the frontal and jugal give rise to postorbital processes which nearly or quite (Tupaia) meet. The tympanic bulla is well developed, and produced into a tubular auditory meatus, this being specially well marked in Macroscelides.

In the other Insectivora the cranial cavity is of smaller comparative size, and the orbit and temporal fossa are completely confluent, often without any trace of a postorbital bar. The occipital plane commonly slopes forwards. In the Hedgehogs (Erinaceidae) and Centetidae the tympanic is very slightly developed, forming a small ring. The zygomatic arch of Hedgehogs and Gymnura is very slender, the jugal being but little developed and the squamosal and maxillae meeting one another; in the Centetidae the jugal is absent and the arch is incomplete.