Wiktionary
n. (context anatomy English) A ridge of bone running lengthwise along the midline of the top of the skull (at the sagittal suture) in many mammals and primates
Wikipedia
A sagittal crest is a ridge of bone running lengthwise along the midline of the top of the skull (at the sagittal suture) of many mammalian and reptilian skulls, among others.
The presence of this ridge of bone indicates that there are exceptionally strong jaw muscles. The sagittal crest serves primarily for attachment of the temporalis muscle, which is one of the main chewing muscles. Development of the sagittal crest is thought to be connected to the development of this muscle. A sagittal crest usually develops during the childhood of an animal in conjunction with the growth of the temporalis muscle, as a result of convergence and gradual heightening of the temporal lines.
A sagittal crest tends to be present on the skulls of adult animals that rely on powerful biting and clenching of their teeth, usually as a part of their hunting strategy. Skulls of some dinosaur species, including tyrannosaurs, possessed well developed sagittal crests. Among mammals, dogs, cats, lions, and many other carnivores have sagittal crests, as do some leaf eaters, including tapirs and some apes.
Sagittal crests are found in robust great apes, and some early hominins ( Paranthropus). Prominent sagittal crests are found among male gorillas and orangutans, and do occur but only rarely in male chimpanzees such as Bili Apes.
The largest sagittal crest ever discovered in the human lineage belongs to the "Black Skull", Paranthropus aethiopicus field number KNM WT 17000, the earliest known robust hominid ancestor and the oldest robust australopithecine discovered to date. The prominence of the crest appears to have been an adaptation for the aethiopicus's heavy chewing, and the Black Skull's cheek teeth are correspondingly large. Smaller sagittal crests are also present on the skulls of other Paranthropines, including Paranthropus boisei and Paranthropus robustus.
Usage examples of "sagittal crest".
Perhaps they might be gorillas: he saw one fragment from a cranium with heavy frontal sinuses, and he saw the beginning of the characteristic sagittal crest.
As in the gorilla, the skull of the ogre has a well-developed sagittal crest to which are anchored the thick jaw muscles that provide their crushing bite.
As in the gorilla, the skull of the ogre has a well-developed sagittal crest to which are an.
The little bit of a sagittal crest on its head made it look somewhat martial.
In fact, the vertebrae of his spine locked like broken wing nuts, and his face was more haggard than his comrades', with a hint of sagittal crest running like an embossed central part in his frowzy hair.
Thick shadows marked its heavy jowls, its large sagittal crest, and the deep pits of its nostrils.
A much larger lizard, gray with a sagittal crest and spots of brighter color on its throat, placed the tip of its snout in the crease between Carbonell's lips, giving rise to the notion that should the mouth open, it would be prepared to slip inside and slither down the throat.