Is the back of the skull the thickest?

Is the Back of the Skull Really the Thickest Part?

Skull thickness: not as obvious as you'd think

Okay, so let me start by admitting something kind of dumb. A while ago during a pub quiz, the question was “What’s the thickest part of the human skull?” and I shouted, confidently, “The forehead!” Spoiler alert: wrong. And that mistake still haunts me.

It got me thinking though — is the back of the skull actually the thickest? You might’ve heard that somewhere (or maybe just assumed it like I did). Let’s break it down — and not in a boring anatomy class way, promise.

Anatomy 101: parts of the human skull

Quick overview (without the snooze)

Your skull’s not just one big bone. It’s made up of several plates fused together over time. The key ones?

• Frontal bone (your forehead)

• Parietal bones (sides of your head)

• Occipital bone (that bump at the back)

• Temporal bones (where your ears are)

• Sphenoid and ethmoid (hidden weirdos inside)

Each part has a slightly different thickness and function — and yeah, that matters when we’re talking about impact, protection, and even evolution.

So… is the back really the thickest?

Short answer: Yes, usually

The occipital bone — right at the back of your skull — tends to be the thickest in most people. Studies using CT scans have shown that it can be up to 15 millimeters thick in adults (sometimes more in men than women, but that's not a hard rule). That’s thicker than the average frontal bone, which often ranges from 6 to 10 mm.

Why? Because evolution’s smart. The back of the head protects the cerebellum and part of the brain stem — pretty damn important areas. You can survive a lot of head trauma, but damage to those parts? Game over.

But also… it’s not always so clear-cut. I've seen data that shows variability. Like, in some populations, the parietal region (top sides of the skull) can rival or even exceed the occipital in thickness. Bone growth can be super weird — and genetics, nutrition, trauma, age... all that comes into play.

There’s also this weird thing…

I was talking to Anya (a med student friend of mine) and she pointed out something I totally missed: bone density isn’t just about thickness. Some parts may be thinner but denser — stronger per mm. So, yeah, even if the back is thicker, the side of your head could take more force before fracturing. Blew my mind a little.

Why it matters (beyond random trivia)

Protection in sports and accidents

This actually matters a lot for things like helmet design and trauma research. I read a case report about a cyclist who hit the back of his head without a helmet and — because of that natural thickness — walked away with just a mild concussion. If it had been the temple? Probably way worse.

I also remember this dumb stunt in high school where a friend, Matt, tried to backflip into a pool and hit the edge with the back of his skull. It cracked open (scary as hell), but the ER doctor said if he’d landed on his temple instead, it might’ve been fatal. That stuck with me hard.

Evolution’s take: protect the basics

It kind of makes sense, right? We're upright creatures. If you fall backwards — which happens way more than forward — the back of your head hits first. Evolution gave that area extra padding.

Babies too — ever notice how the back of a baby’s head is kinda bulky? That’s not just for cuteness. It’s built-in armor for learning how to walk and falling on their tiny butts (and heads) a hundred times.

So, what did we learn?

Okay, final thoughts: is the back of your skull the thickest? Most of the time, yes. But it’s not absolute. Depends on age, sex, genetics, lifestyle… even posture, apparently (who knew?).

But one thing’s for sure — your skull is a freakin’ masterpiece. And if you, like me, ever argued for the forehead being the thickest… just smile, take the L, and tell the story next time someone brings up skulls. Trust me — it always starts a weirdly good conversation. 🧠

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