Glossary

fact

a statement about a phenomenon that is objectively verified, and thus, considered to be true.

facultative bipedalism

when an animal assumes a form of bipedalism on a temporary basis in order to perform a particular action.

family

in taxonomic classifications, all members of the same Genus but only certain members of an Order.

fauna

animals.

femur

the thigh bone.

fetal

stage in human development that lasts between 10 weeks after conception until birth.

fibula

lateral (outer) bone of the lower leg.

fifth cervical

counting from the top, the firth vertebra forming the neck.

fifth lumbar

counting from the top, the firth vertebra forming the lower back.

fifth rib

a true rib; counting from the top, the fifth rib forming the rib cage.

fifth thoracic

counting from the top, the fifth vertebra forming the mid back.

first cervical

[syn. atlas] the vertebra on which the skull rests and articulates with the axis.

first lumbar

vertebra forming part of the lower back.

first rib

a true rib; it is the shortest, borades, and most curved rib.

firth thoracic

counting from the top, the first vertebra forming the mid-back.

flexion

the movement that results in the angle between skeletal elements getting smaller. Different muscles act to flex or extend different skeletal elements. See also extension.

flora

plants.

folivore

a dietary category that describes animals that specialize in eating primarily foliage, such as leaves.

foramen

a hole or opening in a tissue, such as bone; usually accommodates the passage of a blood vessel or a nerve.

foramen magnum

the large hole in the occipital bone that allows for the passage of the spinal cord to the brain. The placement of the foramen magnum in the skull is an indication of bipedal or quadrupedal behavior.

fossil

formed when hard elements of a skeleton, such as shells, teeth and bones, are quickly buried by sand or mud. Over the thousands or millions of years these elements are buried, the organic components of the skeleton are replaced with minerals. The transition from bone to stone forms a fossil.

founder effect

when a portion of a population is geographically isolated, and due to the small sample size subsequent generations no longer represent the genetic diversity seen in the original population.

fourth cervical

counting from the top, the fourth vertebra forming the neck.

fourth lumbar

counting from the top, the fourth vertebra forming the lower back.

fourth rib

a true rib; counting from the top, the fourth rib forming the rib cage.

fourth thoracic

counting from the top, the fourth vertebra forming the mid-back.

fracture

a break or crack in a bone or cartilage.

Frankfort Plane

a plane defined by the most inferior points on the anterior margins of the left orbit and the middle points of the upper part of the left and right external auditory meatus (porion); also called the Plane of Virchow.

frontal

the forehead.

frugivore

a dietary category that describes animals that specialize in eating primarily fruit.

functional morphology

the study of the relationship between an organism's lifestyle and its anatomy.