furcula
Sign in to savethumb|This stylised bird skeleton highlights the furcula thumb|right|Wishbone of a chicken The ' (Latin for "little fork"; : furculae) or wishbone' is a forked bone found in most birds and some species of non-avian dinosaurs, and is either an interclavicle or formed by the fusion of the two clavicles. In birds, its primary function is in strengthening the thoracic skeleton to withstand the rigors of flight.
Article
6 sectionsContents
- In birds
- In other animals
- In folklore
- See also
- Footnotes
- References
thumb|This stylised bird skeleton highlights the furcula thumb|right|Wishbone of a chicken The ' (Latin for "little fork"; : furculae) or wishbone' is a forked bone found in most birds and some species of non-avian dinosaurs, and is either an interclavicle or formed by the fusion of the two clavicles. In birds, its primary function is in strengthening the thoracic skeleton to withstand the rigors of flight.
==In birds== The furcula works as a strut between a bird's shoulders, and articulates to each of the bird's scapulae. In conjunction with the coracoid and the scapula, it forms a unique structure called the triosseal canal, which houses a strong tendon that connects the supracoracoideus muscles to the humerus. This system is responsible for lifting the wings during the recovery stroke.