MESOCEPHAL Meaning and
Definition
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Mesocephal is a term used in craniofacial anthropology and refers to a specific cranial shape and morphology of the human skull. Derived from the Greek words "mesos" meaning middle, and "kephalē" meaning head, mesocephal literally translates to "middle head."
The mesocephal skull is characterized by a moderate cranial width to length ratio, indicating that the width of the skull is relatively proportional to its length. This intermediate cranial shape is also associated with traits such as a gently rounded skull vault, average forehead height and inclination, and a moderately developed occipital bone at the back of the skull.
In craniofacial classification systems, human skulls are often categorized into three main groups based on their width-to-length ratio: dolichocephalic (long-headed), brachycephalic (short-headed), and mesocephalic (moderate-headed). While dolichocephalic skulls are relatively longer and narrower, and brachycephalic skulls are relatively shorter and wider, mesocephalic skulls fall in between these two extremes.
Understanding cranial morphology is of great significance in different scientific fields such as anthropology, archaeology, and medicine. The mesocephal classification provides valuable insight into cranial variability among human populations, as well as potential implications for factors like craniofacial growth and development, genetic traits, and potential health implications associated with different head shapes.
Common Misspellings for MESOCEPHAL
- nesocephal
- kesocephal
- jesocephal
- mwsocephal
- mssocephal
- mdsocephal
- mrsocephal
- m4socephal
- m3socephal
- meaocephal
- mezocephal
- mexocephal
- medocephal
- meeocephal
- mewocephal
- mesicephal
- meskcephal
- meslcephal
- mespcephal
- mes0cephal
Etymology of MESOCEPHAL
The word "mesocephal" originates from combining two Greek roots: "meso" meaning "middle" or "medium", and "cephal" meaning "head" or "skull". Therefore, "mesocephal" can be understood as "middle-headed" or "medium-skulled". This term is commonly used in anthropometry, a field of study concerned with measuring and classifying human bodies, particularly in assessing the size and shape of the skull or head.
