(And let's not even
get into the use of cranial/caudal for anterior/posterior! If I read
one more papar about cranial caudal elements, or caudal cranial
elements, I'm going to have to go get that Quad Damage and do some
harm.)
Instead of the former, you're supposed to say "proximal caudal". Regarding
the latter, in cases where "occipital" doesn't fit, I don't know why more
people don't follow Gerald Mayr's extension of "proximal/distal" to the neck
and skull. Perhaps it's because it clashes with toothrow nomenclature, where
"distal" suddenly means "away from the symphysis", which in turn means
"toward the jaw joint" except in exceptions like *Nigersaurus*. I think the
toothrow nomenclature should be changed... :-}