The occipital bone, or more specifically its basilar part, is in the midline immediately posterior to the body of the sphenoid. It extends posteriorly to the foramen magnum and is bounded laterally by the temporal bones.
Prominent on the basilar part of the occipital bone is the pharyngeal tubercle, a bony protuberance for the attachment of parts of the pharynx to the base of the skull (Fig. 8.23).