A large supernumerary bone at the bregma and metopism co-occurring in the skull of an ancient Roman in Serbia

Abstract

An unusual anatomical variation was observed on a skull excavated at Lanište (Raška district, Serbia), a Roman necropolis dating back to the second half of the 4th century AD. The skull of an adult male showed a remarkably large supernumerary bone at the bregma co-occurring with a continuous persistent metopic suture. Few similar cases have been reported in scientific literature. We describe the case and discuss possible mechanisms and underlying causes, including pathological conditions.