page_title: Foramen magnum
hierarchical_section_title: Foramen magnum
caption_attribution_description: English: A photograph of the lower inner surface of a human skull. Arrow pointed foramen magnum. Français&#160;: Vue endocrânien du plancher d'un crâne humain.La flèche montre le Foramen magnum 日本語: 大後頭孔 Muséum de Toulouse &#160;&#160;Native nameMuséum de ToulouseLocationToulouse , FranceCoordinates43°&#160;35′&#160;38″&#160;N, 1°&#160;26′&#160;57″&#160;E &#160;Established1796&#58; &#32;established&#160;; 1865&#58; &#32;opened to publicWeb pagewww.museum.toulouse.frAuthority control : Q422 VIAF:&#8201;131004808 ISNI:&#8201;0000 0001 2158 3469 SUDOC:&#8201;028667107 BNF:&#8201;120455376 Museofile:&#8201;M7013 institution QS:P195,Q422
context_page_description: The foramen magnum is a large oval opening in the occipital bone of the skull in humans and many other animals. It is one of the several oval or circular openings in the base of the skull. The spinal cord, an extension of the medulla oblongata, passes through the foramen magnum as it exits the cranial cavity. Apart from the transmission of the medulla oblongata and its membranes, the foramen magnum transmits the vertebral arteries, the anterior and posterior spinal arteries, the tectorial membranes and alar ligaments. It also transmits the accessory nerve into the skull.
  The foramen magnum is a very important feature in bipedal mammals. One of the attributes of a biped's foramen magnum is a forward shift of the anterior border of the cerebellar tentorium; this is caused by the shortening of the cranial base. Studies on the foramen magnum position have shown a connection to the functional influences of both posture and locomotion. The forward shift of the foramen magnum is apparent in bipedal hominins→, including modern humans, Australopithecus africanus, and Paranthropus boisei.
context_section_description: The foramen magnum (Latin: great hole) is a large oval opening (foramen) in the occipital bone of the skull in humans and many other animals. It is one of the several oval or circular openings (foramina) in the base of the skull. The spinal cord, an extension of the medulla oblongata, passes through the foramen magnum as it exits the cranial cavity. Apart from the transmission of the medulla oblongata and its membranes, the foramen magnum transmits the vertebral arteries, the anterior and posterior spinal arteries, the tectorial membranes and alar ligaments. It also transmits the accessory nerve into the skull.
  The foramen magnum is a very important feature in bipedal mammals. One of the attributes of a biped's foramen magnum is a forward shift of the anterior border of the cerebellar tentorium; this is caused by the shortening of the cranial base. Studies on the foramen magnum position have shown a connection to the functional influences of both posture and locomotion. The forward shift of the foramen magnum is apparent in bipedal hominins→, including modern humans, Australopithecus africanus, and Paranthropus boisei. This common feature of bipedal hominins is the driving argument used by Michel Brunet that Sahelanthropus tchadensis was also bipedal, and may be the earliest known bipedal ape. The discovery of this feature has given scientists another form of identifying bipedal mammals.
caption: Upper surface of base of the skull. The hole indicated by an arrow is the foramen magnum
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