Bio 102 Lab Outline – Skeletal System

CRANIAL SKELETON

 Phylogenetic Contributions
1. Neurocranium
o Ethmoids, sphenoids, occipitals
o Cartilage or endochondral bone
2. Splanchnocranium
o Gill arches
o Jaws (suspension may include paleostyly, amphistyly, hyostyly, autostyly {metautostyly &
craniostyly})
o Cartilage or endochondral bone
3. Dermatocranium
o Facial series (premaxilla, maxilla, nasal), orbital series (prefrontal, postfrontal, postorbital,
jugal, lacrimal), temporal series (intertemporal, supratemporal, temporal, quadratojugal,
squamosal), palatal series (vomer, pterygoid, ectopterygoid), mandibular series (dentary,
angular, surangular, splenial, coronoid)  some of these may be absent; there may be
additional elements in certain vertebrates
o Membrane bone

POSTCRANIAL SKELETON – AXIAL (Vertebrae, Ribs & Sternum)

 Phylogenetic Trends
1. Notochord becomes reduced and incorporated into a segmented vertebral column (at the
centrum)
2. Individual vertebral column segments become specialized (particularly in tetrapods) into cervical,
thoracic, lumbar, sacral & caudal
 Typical vertebrae: neural spine, neural arch, centrum, haemal arch, haemal spine, processes
(apophyses such as the diapophysis, parapophysis, pre & postzygapophysis…)
 Ribs
o True ribs – sternal ribs articulated with the sternum; tuberculum to transverse process or
diapophysis & capitulum with the parapophysis or centrum in vertebral ribs
o False ribs – sternal rib articulate with preceding sternal rib instead of the sternum; floating
ribs as modified false ribs with hanging sternal rib
 Centrum shape: amphicoelous, acoelous/amphiplatyan, procoelus, opisthocoelous,
heterocoelous

POSTCRANIAL SKELETON – APPENDICULAR (Girdles & Appendages)

o Fins: pterygiophores (basals, radials, fin rays  recall fin rays discussed in the integumentary
system: ceratotrichia, actinotrichia, lepidotrichia); pelvic fin reduced or basal pterygiophores
modified into male claspers
o Pectoral girdle
o Dermal elements – temporals, cleithra, clavicles & interclavicles
o Endochondral elements – scapulae & coracoids
o Not prominent in aquatic organisms; dogfish may have a coracoid bar to connect the
pectoral fins
o Tetrapod trend: loss or reduction of dermal elements and dominance of endochondral
elements
o GLENOID as articulation point for forelimb
o Pelvic girdle
o Innominate bone – ilium (anterodorsal), ischium (posteroventral), pubis (anteroventral)
o ACETABULUM as articulation point for hindlimb
o Limbs
o Stylopodium (humerus/ femur)
o Zeugopodium (radius-ulna/ tibia-fibula)
o Autopodium (carpals-metacarpals/ tarsals-metatarsals, phalanges)