The cranial meninges are continuous with, and similar to, the spinal meninges through the foramen magnum, with one important distinction—the cranial dura mater consists of two layers, and only one of these is continuous through the foramen magnum (Fig. 8.31B).
The cranial dura mater is a thick, tough, outer covering of the brain. It consists of an outer periosteal layer and an inner meningeal layer (Fig. 8.31A):