sphenopalatine, sphenopalatinate

Anat .: Of or belonging to the palate bones and to the sphenoid; as the spheno - palatine artery, foramen, and ganglion. spheno-parietal, a. Anat.: Of or belonging to the parietal and the sphenoid. Between these is the spheno - parietal suture. spheno-temporal, a. Anat.: Of or belonging to the temporal and the sphenoid bones. sphēn-ô-çěph-a-lus, s. [Pref. spheno-, and Gr. kephale the head.] 1. Anat .: A malformation of the head in which the upper part of the cranium a umes a wedge-like aspect. 2. Palæont .: A genus of Berycide, from the Chalk. sphēn-o clase, s. [Pref. spheno- , and Gr. klasis =a fracture.] Min.: A ma ive mineral which, when struck, breaks into wedge-shaped fragments. Hardne , 5.5-6; specific gravity, 32; luster, feeble; color, pale grayish-yellow; sub-translucent. An analysis yielded: Silica, 46:08; alumina, 13-04; protoxide of iron, 477; protoxide of manganese, 3.23; magnesia, 6.25; lime, 26.50-99-87. Found at Gjellebäck, Norway, in layers in a granular limestone. sphēn-ô-đòn, subst. [Gr. sphen a wedge; suff. -odon.] 1. Palæont.: A genus of Bradypodide, from the bone-caves of Brazil. 2. Zool .: The sole recent genus of Rhynchocephalia (q. v.), with one species, Sphenodon punctatus ( Hatteria punctata ), from New Zealand, where it is called Tuatéra by the Maoris. Externally, there is little to distinguish this genus from ordinary lizards, but important differences occur in the structure of the skeleton, viz., the presence of a double horizontal bar acro the temporal region, the firm connection of the quadrate bone with the skull and the pterygoid bones, biconcave vertebræ Skull of Sphenodon, Showing Acrodont Jaw. IMG:content-0024.png:[graphic] sphenodus as in the Geckos and many fo il Crocodilians, the presence of an abdominal sternum, and uncinate proce es to the ribs (as in Birds).