macrocephalus

Macrocephalus is a Latin-derived adjective meaning "large-headed." In scientific naming, macrocephalus is used as a descriptive epithet to indicate that a particular organism has a relatively large head or cephalic feature compared with related forms. The word is inflected for gender in Latin: macrocephalus (masculine), macrocephala (feminine), and macrocephalum (neuter).

In taxonomy, macrocephalus appears across diverse groups as a descriptive element within binomial names or intraspecific ranks. It is not a standalone taxon but signals a morphological trait—typically a disproportionately large head relative to body size, or a notable cephalic crest or skull structure—used by taxonomists to distinguish specimens or populations.

In human medicine and anatomy, macrocephalus is less common than macrocephaly, the clinical term for an abnormally large head circumference. Macrocephaly may be isolated or part of syndromic conditions, often evaluated in pediatrics by comparing head circumference to normative percentiles or standard deviation cutoffs. In non-human contexts, macrocephalus remains a descriptive label rather than a diagnosis.

See also: macrocephaly, cephalic measurements, Latin grammatical gender in scientific naming.