Archivo: Emu skulls

Description: Comparison of the cranium contour in modern and King Island Emu. Several (partial) skulls from modern Emu are shown at different stages in their development: A – Adult, B – Immature-Adult, C – Juvenile. Two partial skulls are shown for the King Island Emu D & E [8]. The black lines indicate the contour of the upper/rear surface of the cranium. The adult and immature-adult modern Emu show a frontally flattened cranium, whereas King Island Emu show a more dome shaped cranium. Initially this difference was considered a species level difference, but juvenile modern emu show the same dome shaped cranium in both taxa and therefore appears not to be taxonomically significant.
Title: Emu skulls
Credit: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0018728
Author: Tim H. Heupink, Leon Huynen, David M. Lambert
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No