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Definition

noun, plural: splanchnocrania

The portion of the vertebrate skull derived from the embryonic pharyngeal arches that give rise to mandible, auditory ossicles, hyoid bone and distinct processes of the skull.

Supplement

The skull consists of three distinct parts: neurocranium, dermatocranium and splanchnocranium (viscerocranium).

Synonyms:

• visceral cranium
• viscerocranium
• jaw skeleton