Occiput / Occipital bone (Linkmap)
The occipital bone (os occipitale) is the bone of the skull that lies furthest back and down. In its posterior part lies the foramen magnum, with which the skull rests on the spinal column in the atlantooccipital bone and through which the nerves of the spinal cord emerge from the skull. The occiput is the insertion for many muscles that move the head as well as facial muscles.
Foramen Magnum
the large occipital foramen, a large opening in the occipital bone (os occipitale) where the CNS emerges from the skull or, in other words, where the brain merges with the spinal cord. The part of the brain above the foramen magnum is the medulla oblongata, where the respiratory and circulatory regulation center is located. In earlier hominids, the foramen magnum was located even further back, which corresponded to the bent-forward posture or the original 4-legged stance. In modern humans, the foramen magnum is located anatomically zero below the center of gravity of the skull as a result of adaptation to the upright gait.