Endocranial cast

Endocranial cast

An endocast or endocranial cast is a cast made of the mold formed by the impression the brain makes on the inside of the neurocranium (braincase), providing a replica of the brain with most of the details of its outer surface. Endocasts can also form naturally, when sediments fill the empty skull, after which the skull is destroyed and the cast fossilized. Scientists are increasingly utilizing computerized tomography scanning technology to create digital endocasts without damaging valuable specimens. This gives a 3D representation of the brain. Brain size and complexity can then be determined

Endocasts were used for looking at the brains of homo sapiens to find hemispheric specialization.


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  • endocranial cast — n a cast of the cranial cavity showing the approximate shape of the brain …   Medical dictionary

  • endocranial cast — noun : a cast of the cranial cavity showing the approximate shape of the brain * * * Archaeol. a cast of the inside of the cranium, as of a fossil skull, used to determine brain size and shape. Also called endocast. [1920 25] …   Useful english dictionary

  • endocranial cast — noun Date: 1923 a cast of the cranial cavity showing the approximate shape of the brain …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • endocranial cast — Archaeol. a cast of the inside of the cranium, as of a fossil skull, used to determine brain size and shape. Also called endocast. [1920 25] * * * …   Universalium

  • endocranial — 1. Within the cranium. 2. Relating to the endocranium. SYN: encranial, entocranial. * * * en·do·cra·ni·al .en də krā nē əl adj of or relating to an endocranial cast or to the cranial cavity <endocranial volume> * * * en·do·cra·ni·al… …   Medical dictionary

  • Cráneo de Florisbad — El cráneo de Florisbad fue descubierto en 1932 por el profesor Thomas Dreyer, en el sitio de Florisbad, a unos 50 km de Bloemfontein, Sudáfrica.[1] El fósil conserva el lado derecho de la cara, la mayor parte de la frente y parte de la bóveda… …   Wikipedia Español

  • endocast — ˈendəˌkast noun Etymology: by shortening : endocranial cast * * * /en deuh kast , kahst /, n. Archaeol. 1. See endocranial cast. 2. steinkern. [1945 50; ENDO(CRANIAL) + CAST1] …   Useful english dictionary

  • Edmontosaurus — Chordata Edmontosaurus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 73.0–65.5 Ma …   Wikipedia

  • endocast — en·do·cast en də .kast n ENDOCRANIAL CAST …   Medical dictionary

  • endocast — noun Date: 1949 endocranial cast …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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