Occipital bun

An occipital bun, also called an occipital spur, occipital knob, chignon hook or inion hook, is a prominent bulge or projection of the occipital bone at the back of the skull. It is important in scientific descriptions of classic Neanderthal crania.[1] It is found among archaic Homo species (including Neanderthals), as well as Upper Pleistocene Homo sapiens and present-day human populations.[2]

The occipital bun on a Neanderthal skull
  1. ^ Varghese E, Samson RS, Kumbargere SN, Pothen M (May 2017). "Occipital spur: understanding a normal yet symptomatic variant from orthodontic diagnostic lateral cephalogram". BMJ Case Reports. 2017: bcr–2017–220506. doi:10.1136/bcr-2017-220506. PMC 5753744. PMID 28536237.
  2. ^ Trinkaus E, LeMay M (January 1982). "Occipital bunning among later Pleistocene Hominids". American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 57 (1): 27–35. doi:10.1002/ajpa.1330570106. PMID 6814258.