Evolution of the Turkish Saddle

Roughly in the center of our skull, there is a small sphenoid bone
pocket called "Sella Turcica" (Turkish Saddle, due to its similarity
in shape to same), providing a snug and safe resting place for the
pituitary gland (hypophysis cerebri).

Does anyone have a reasonable explanation as to why this "saddle,"
located in one of the best protected spaces of the entire body (deep
inside the head) should have evolved?

To my thinking, the reason why the saddle evolved would have been that
our ancestors must have received very hard blows to the head quite a
lot, with the chances of survival proportional to the degree of
protection provided for the "master gland". However, this theory does
not make much sense to me, unless there were some mysterious hazards
in the past (no longer present) that made our ancestors receive a lot
of head traumas.

Henry Norman


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