Brachycephaly

/ˌbræk.iˈsɛf.ə.li/ noun

Definition

The condition of having a short, broad skull, or the state of being brachycephalic; a measure of skull proportions.

Etymology

From Greek brachys (short) + kephalē (head) + -y (suffix forming nouns), the base term for this cranial characteristic.

Kelly Says

Brachycephaly was the hot scientific obsession of the 1800s, but turned out to be a natural human variation with no meaningful connection to intelligence or ability—a cautionary tale of how science can create authority for bad ideas.

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