Mandible Collection (page 8)

Sarcophilus laniarius, Tasmanian devil
Jaw of a Tasmanian devil from the collections at the Natural History Museum

Plesiadapis fodinatus, primate
Left section of a mandible of the primate, Plesiadapis fondinatus. Specimen dates from the Late Paleocene, silver coulee Quarry, Park County, Wyoming, USA

Proconsul, Homo heildebergensis & Homo neanderthalensis cran
L to R: Cranium of Proconsul, an extinct primate that lived 18 million years ago; Homo heildebergensis (Broken Hill 1) discovered in Zambia; and Homo neanderthalensis (Gibraltar 1)

Detail of bird beaks
Plate 281, hand coloured copperplate etching from George Edwards The Gleanings of Natural History, Vol. 2 (1760). Annotated Four curious beaks of birds but little known

Preliminary flourine test of the Piltdown remains in 1949
Dr Kenneth Oakley discussing with Mr L. E. Parsons (right) where the mandible of Piltdown man could be sampled with the least risk of damage

Homo sapiens (Goughs Cave 49) mandible
Adolescent modern human mandible found during excavations in Goughs Cave, Cheddar, Somerset, dates back to around 14, 000 - 12, 000 year ago, (Creswellian)

Cranium and mandible (Piltdown 1 & 2)
Piltdown man cranium and mandible as reconstructed on the left by Dr. A Smith Woodward and on the right by Professor Arthur Keith

Lateral view of mandible

Homo heidelbergensis mandible (Mauer 1)

Homo erectus mandible (SK 15)
A cast of a mandible with six teeth belonging to Homo erectus. The original, known as SK 15 Member 2 was found at Swartkrans, South Africa

Homo sapiens, human mandible
A specimen of a modern human mandible, or jaw bone with a complete set of teeth. Specimen held at the Natural History Museum, London

Australopithecus africanus mandible (MLD 2)
Mandible and teeth of an adolescent male (of about 12 years) Australopithecus africanus discovered at Makapansgat by A.R. Hughes and S. Kitching in July 1948

Paranthropus robustus jaw bone
Lower jaws of Australopithecus robustus. A robustus lived between 1.8 and 1.5 million years ago in South Africa

Sivapithecus & human mandible
A human mandible (on the left) compared with a Sivapithecus mandible. Sivapithecus, an extinct ape from the Miocene, is believed to have lived 9 million years ago

Sivapithecus sivalensis
Fragments of cranium and mandible of an extinct ape-like primate Sivapithecus sivalensis which lived about 8 million years ago. The specimen was discovered in Potwar, Pakistan

Hominid Fossil Collection
A sellection of items from the anthropologigical collections at the Natural History Museum, London

Harvester Ant (Messor barbara) major and minor workers, major worker with jaws open in defensive posture, Chaine des Alpilles, Bouches-du-Rhone, Provence, France, June

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) juvenile, with deformed upper mandible to beak, perched on birdbath in garden, North Dakota, U.S.A. September

Wood Ant (Formica sp. ) adult workers, fighting, with severed head still grasping with mandibles, near Minerve
Wood Ant (Formica sp.) adult workers, fighting, with severed head still grasping with mandibles, near Minerve, Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, may

Nomad Bee (Nomada lathburiana) adult female, sleeping, with jaws locked onto stem, Leicestershire, England, april

Mayfly nymph head, SEM
Mayfly nymph head, scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Mayflies (order Ephemeroptera) are the oldest surviving winged insects

Earwig head, SEM
Earwig. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of an unidentified earwig (order Dermaptera). The bases of the long, slender antennae (purple, upper frame)

Caddisfly head, SEM
Caddisfly head. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a caddisfly (order Trichoptera). At centre are the flys mouthparts

Scorpion fly head, SEM
Scorpion fly head. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a scorpion fly (Panorpa sp.). It has a long beak-like extension on its head that has the jaws at the end (left)

Hedgehog flea, SEM
Hedgehog flea (Archaeopsylla erinacei), coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). The two structures protruding from the centre of the fleas head are sensory palps

Alderfly larva, SEM
Alderfly larva. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of an alderfly larva (Sialis lutaria). At right is one of its compound eyes (orange) and at lower centre are its powerful jaws

Cat fleas head, SEM

Orangutan skull, X-ray
Orangutan skull. Coloured X-ray of an orangutan (Pongo sp.) skull. The orangutan is native to Malaysia and Indonesia

Chimpanzee skull, X-ray
Chimpanzee skull. Coloured X-ray of a side view of a chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) skull. The cranium (upper right) is considerably smaller than in humans

Orangutan skull. Coloured X-ray of an orangutan (Pongo sp.) skull. The orangutan is native to Malaysia and Indonesia

Ant mouth, SEM
Ant mouthparts. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the mouthparts of an ant (family Formicidae). The powerful mandibles (jaws, centre and upper left) are overlapping

Damselfly nymph skin. Light micrograph of the head and thorax of a shed skin from a damselfly nymph (Coenagrion sp.). This is the ventral (underside)

Ants fighting (family Formicidae), illustration. Ants live in large colonies of sometimes millions of individuals. Soldier ants are typically worker ants that have large heads

Soldier ant jaws, SEM
Soldier ant jaws. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a leaf-cutter ant (Atta sexdens). This is a soldier ant

Leaf cutter ant, SEM
Leaf cutter ants head. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a leaf cutter ant. This insect lives in colonies and uses its powerful mandibles to remove pieces of leaves

Bee mouthparts, light micrograph. The two darker brown upper appendages are the mandibles (jaws), which are used for handling objects and for communicating with other bees

Red wood ant, SEM
Red wood ant. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of a red ant (Formica rufa). Its long sensory antennae are seen protruding from its head at lower centre and lower left

Wasp head, SEM
Wasp head. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a wasps head (order Hymenoptera). Its large compound eyes (yellow) are seen on either side of its head

Moth fly, SEM
Moth fly. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a moth fly (Psychoda sp.). The two compound eyes (pink) dominate the head

Wasp. Macrophotograph of the head of a wasp (Vespula sp.), showing its large, compound eyes (black) and segmented sensory antennae

Devils coach horse beetle, SEM
Devils coach horse. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the underside of a devils coach horse beetle (Staphylinus olens)

Damselfly nymph (Coenagrion sp.). Head and thorax of a damselfly at the nymph stage. The thorax contains three pairs of legs and a pair of undeveloped wings

Red-shouldered ham beetle head, SEM
Red-shouldered ham beetle (Necrobia ruficollis) head, coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM). Forensic entomologists study this beetle because it feeds on dead bodies

Fungus weevil head, SEM
Weevil head. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the head of an endangered fungus weevil (Notioxenus sp.). The mouthparts are at lower right

Head muscles
Head musculature. Historical artwork of the facial and other head muscles (red) on a human skull. The temporal muscle is shown in the lower frame

Pinned broken jaw, X-ray
Pinned broken jaw. Coloured X-ray of the skull (front view) of a 65 year old man, showing a pinned fracture of the lower jawbone (mandible)

Lower jaw of a python. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of the mouth of a python, showing the backward-pointing teeth used for gripping prey

Paranasal sinuses, X-ray
Paranasal sinuses. Coloured X-ray of a sagittal section through a human skull. The skull has been sliced in half down the centre and the regions of the paranasal sinuses coloured

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The mandible, also known as the jawbone, is a fascinating and crucial component of our skull anatomy. Leonardo da Vinci's detailed sketches in his "Skull Anatomy" showcase the intricacies of this bone. A panoramic dental X-ray allows us to examine the mandible's structure and its relationship with teeth. Looking back in time, the Paranthropus boisei (Zinjanthropus) cranium (OH5) provides valuable insights into our evolutionary history. The study of human skulls through X-rays reveals not only the mandible but also other vital structures within our head. Nature never fails to amaze us; even tiny creatures like the red-barbed ant can be observed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM), revealing their unique mandibles adapted for various tasks. Meanwhile, a cross-section diagram illustrates how our mouth and jaw work together harmoniously. Insects are no exception when it comes to showcasing intriguing mandibular adaptations. Witnessing a red flour beetle in flight or examining an artwork depicting a Black Death rat flea reminds us of nature's diversity and complexity. However, sometimes unfortunate incidents occur that affect this essential bone. Fractured jawbones captured by X-rays remind us of both medical challenges and advancements in treating such injuries. Zooming further into nature's wonders, we encounter spiny spiders under SEMs - their menacing-looking yet functional jaws ready for capturing prey. Ultimately, whether studying ancient fossils or observing modern-day organisms, understanding the mandible plays an integral role in comprehending head and neck anatomy as depicted beautifully through artworks dedicated to this subject matter.