Where it is
The back end of the skull, where the atlas attaches.
- Layer
- Skeleton
- System
- Axial skeleton
- Region
- Head
What it is and what it does
The occipital bone closes the skull at the back and articulates with the first cervical vertebra, the atlas, through its two condyles. In the dog, the basilar part is wide and flat, and the nuchal crest, its peak, projects strongly backward in large breeds: it is the external occipital protuberance you feel at the nape. From it arise the digastricus and part of the muscles of the nape.
Worth remembering
The bump at the nape is not “smartness”: it is the occipital bone, more prominent in large breeds.
Names
- Latin term: os occipitale.
- In Romanian: Osul occipital (Romanian page).