Dolichocranial

/ˌdɒlɪkoʊˈkreɪniəl/ adjective

Definition

Having a long, narrow cranium or braincase, describing skull shape from the perspective of the entire cranial vault.

Etymology

From Greek 'dolichOS' (long) and 'kranion' (skull), a technical anatomical term distinguishing overall skull elongation from just the head's shape.

Kelly Says

Dolichocranial measurements helped paleontologists understand how our brains evolved, since cranial volume correlates with brain size—though they later realized skull shape and intelligence have virtually no relationship.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.