THE CHIMPANZEE SKULL (PAN TROGLODYTES, BLUMENBACH, 1775): CASE STUDY

The study aims to describe the morphological cha-racteristics of the chimpanzee skull (Pan troglodytes, Blumenbach, 1775). The genus Pan, like the genus Homo, is part of the order Primates (Linnaeus, 1758) and presents similar characteristics. The particulari-ties of the skull are valuable elements necessary for species identification. Data in the specialized literature on chimpanzee cranial morphology are sparse and la-cking in detail. For the study, a skull from an adult male chimpanzee, deceased of natural causes, a specimen found in the collection of the Anatomy discipline, was used. The following conclusions were drawn: the fora-men magnum and the occipital condyles moved slight-ly ventro-rostral due to the tendency of bipedal move-ment; the external sagittal crest is absent; the two or-bits are complete and arranged in the frontal plane; the presence of two ethmoidal holes (anterior and pos-terior); the mastoid and styloid processes, are re-duced; an anterior and an accessory palatine foramen are present, both located in the aboral extremity of the palatine process.