August 27, 2006 ~ Tacoma, Washington
There was a tapir skull on display outside the Asian tapir enclosure at Point Defiance Zoo on one of my trips up there in 2006. Tapir skulls are interesting and there was a nice young woman giving info to anyone who would listen, explaining points about the skull. Notice the huge area between the top of the jaw and that small triangle of bone above it. This is the space necessary for all the passages and muscles of the tapir's nose.
Click on any photo to enlarge.
The eye socket is not enclosed, but is wide open towards the back of the head. This is a primitive form not seen in many mammals.
Check out the inside of the nasal cavity. I'm not sure what those parallel ridges are for. And check out the guy in the corner. See what I mean about the eye sockets being different?
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1 comment:
Seeing the skulls makes me always think of the past, even when the skull is a current animal. I guess it reminds me of death too. I used to notlikethem, they frightened me, but through pictures such as yours I learn to see the skull's beauty and also derived valuable information about the incredible diversity of life.
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