4. foramen magnum

The foramen magnum, which means "great hole" in Latin, is the large hole at the bottom of the cranium through which the spinal column passes. The placement of the foramen magnum is directly related to the orientation of the cranium needed to move as well. The foramen magnum used to run dorsally, towards the back of the cranium, but now has shifted to be perpendicular to the ground so bipeds could hold their heads upright and have a less limited vision.

Information from: CARTA: [1] Manual: pg. 20

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