Cranial vault

The cranial vault is the space in the skull within the neurocranium, occupied by the brain.

The open portion between the major bones of the upper part of the vault, called fontanelles, normally remain soft up to two years after birth.

The sutures between the bones remain until 30 to 40 years of age, allowing for growth of the brain.

The cranial vault is composed of the endocranium forming the basal parts, topped by the skull roof in land vertebrates.

The cranial vault as a distinct unit arose with the fusion of the skull roof and the endocranium on the early Labyrinthodonts.