Skull
The brain case is surmounted by the sagittal crest and by the nuchal crest, which connects the caudal end of the sagittal crest with the base of the ear, providing the dorsal boundary of the triangular caudal (nuchal) surface of the skull.
Both crests are palpable, although little of the nuchal surface can be appreciated. In the puppy's skull the cranial exceeds the facial part in size, being relatively much wider than it is in the adult (see Fig. 1.18); the sagittal crest has yet to form, and the nuchal crest, although visible on the skull, is not palpable. The fontanelle, characteristic of the neonatal skull, may persist into adult life in certain toy breeds, in which it remains a palpable feature. The ventral border of the mandible and the prominent angular process at its caudal end are easily palpated. The halves of the mandible meet in a cartilaginous joint that persists throughout life.
FIG. 11.5 Representatives of cats with (A) long heads (Abyssinian), (B) medium-sized heads (European short hair), and (C) short heads (Persian).
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