braincase
Head's bony shell
The braincase is the part of the skull that encloses and protects the brain—the bony housing formed by fused cranial bones.
The term appears most often in anatomy, paleontology, and anthropology, where skull fragments reveal information about brain size and structure: The fossil's braincase suggests a larger brain than expected for its era.
Top of skull
- frontal boneSkull plate above eyes
- sphenoidButterfly-shaped cranial bone
- ethmoidPerforated skull bone
- suturesMedical wound closures
fossa · meninges · dura mater · cranial cavity · sinuses · periosteum · coronal suture · lambdoid suture
Preserved ancient organism
- hominidBipedal primate family
- NeanderthalExtinct archaic human species
- Homo erectusExtinct bipedal human ancestor
- cranial capacitySkull's internal volume
archaeological · excavation · specimen · trepanation · anthropology · osteology · paleoanthropology · burial
Head's bone casing
- encasementProtective outer shell
- shieldingProtecting from harm
- cushioningSoftening force or fall
- membraneThin tissue sheet
buffer · shock absorption · helmet · hardhat · safety · padding · armor · guard
Bipedal primate family
- primateHigher mammal order member
- cognitive developmentAcquiring reasoning abilities over time
- bipedalismWalking on two limbs
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
calvaria
Top of skull
- frontal boneSkull plate above eyes
- sphenoidButterfly-shaped cranial bone
- ethmoidPerforated skull bone
sutures · fossa · meninges · dura mater · cranial cavity · sinuses · periosteum · coronal suture · lambdoid suture · fontanelle
fossil
Preserved ancient organism
- hominidBipedal primate family
- NeanderthalExtinct archaic human species
- Homo erectusExtinct bipedal human ancestor
cranial capacity · archaeological · excavation · specimen · trepanation · anthropology · osteology · paleoanthropology · burial · skeleton
skull
Head's bone casing
- encasementProtective outer shell
- shieldingProtecting from harm
- cushioningSoftening force or fall
membrane · buffer · shock absorption · helmet · hardhat · safety · padding · armor · guard · enclosure
hominid
Bipedal primate family
- primateHigher mammal order member
- cognitive developmentAcquiring reasoning abilities over time
- bipedalismWalking on two limbs
adaptation · natural selection · intelligence · Homo sapiens
- body part wordsAdam's apple, anklebone, armpit, backbone, belly button
- dinosaur bodyskull, skeleton, bones, tail, teeth
- skull anatomyskull, frontal bone, mandible, maxilla, nasal bone
- skull partsfrontal bone, skull cap, coronal suture, lambdoid suture, fontanelle
- reptile bonesskull, femur, tibia, fibula, humerus
- skull bonesfrontal bone, nasal bone, maxilla, mandible, vomer
braincasesplanchnocranium
Facial bones of skull
mandible · jawbone · maxilla · nasal bones · jaw