Figure 5.

Craniocervical system – ventrolateral muscles. Top: schematic diagram (based on Gyps fulvus) visualizing the muscle topology (the relevant muscle is highlighted in color). The M. rectus capitis dorsalis in lateral view (A) Gyps fulvus, (B) Aegypius monachus. The muscle originates dorsolaterally from the cervical vertebrae 1−6 in G. fulvus, and of the cervical vertebrae 1−5 in A. monachus. It inserts with two tendons into the basitemporal plate and the basioccipital bone of the skull in both vultures. The white rectangle indicates the tendon that inserts into a prominent knob of the basitemporal plate. Scale bar: 1 cm