Bones of the face

In domestic animals, where it represents about two thirds of the head, the bones of the face (Ossa faciei) constitute a much more extended volume, than in Men, whose cranium is at the contrary much larger. They are more numerous but in general smaller and less complicated than the ones of the cranium. Except for the conchae/turbinates, these are covering bones, that is to say of membranous origin.

Only one of these bones is uneven: the vomer. The others are in principle disposed by pairs on either side of the median plane; they are, except for the turbinates: the nasal, lacrimal, zygomatic, pterygoid, palatine, maxillary, incisive, and mandibular bones. However, the two mandibles merge early on in numerous species, including Men, what sometimes leads to describe them as a single uneven bone. The hyoid bone formed from a serie of parts derivated from the branchial skeleton ought to be added to this set.