Cranial nerves are nerves that emerge directly from the brain, in contrast to spinal nerves, which emerge from segments of the spinal cord.
Comment:
[homology-note] "We conclude this section by listing some of the many synapomorphies of craniates, including (...) (5) cranial nerves (...).[well established][VHOG]" xsd:string {date_retrieved="2012-09-17", external_class="VHOG:0000279", ontology="VHOG", source="ISBN:978-0030223693 Liem KF, Bemis WE, Walker WF, Grande L, Functional Anatomy of the Vertebrates: An Evolutionary Perspective (2001) p.43", source="http://bgee.unil.ch/"}