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The furcula ("little fork" in Latin) is a forked bone
Bone

Bones are rigid organ that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red blood cell and white blood cells and store minerals....
 found in bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
s and theropod dinosaur
Dinosaur

Dinosaurs were the dominant vertebrate animals of Landform ecosystems for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic Period until the end of the Cretaceous Period , when most of them became extinct in the Cretaceous?Tertiary extinction event....
s, formed by the fusion of the two clavicle
Clavicle

In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is classified as a flat bone that makes up part of the shoulder girdle . It receives its name from the Latin clavicula because the bone rotates along its axis like a key when the shoulder is Abduction ....
s. In birds, its function is the strengthening of the thoracic
Thorax

The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.In mammals, the thorax is the region of the body formed by the sternum, the thoracic vertebrae and the ribs....
 skeleton
Skeleton

In biology, a skeleton is a rigid framework that provides protection and structure in many types of animal, particularly those of the phylum Chordata and of the superphylum Ecdysozoa....
 to withstand the rigors of flight
Flight

Flight is the process by which an object moves either through the air, or movement beyond earth's atmosphere , by aerodynamically generating Lift , propulsion or Lighter than air using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
.

The following therapods have been found to have furculae: aves, dromaeosaurids (including a new North American species of Velociraptor
Velociraptor

Velociraptor is a genus of dromaeosaurid Theropoda dinosaur that existed approximately 75 to 71 mya during the later part of the Cretaceous Period ....
), Oviraptorids, Tyrannosaurids, Troodontids,Coelophysids and Allosauroids.
furcula is commonly referred to as a wishbone or merrythought because of the tradition that when two people hold the two sides of the bone and pull it apart, the one who gets the larger part will have a wish
Wish

A wish is a hope or desire for something. Fictionally, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used....
 granted.






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Encyclopedia


The furcula ("little fork" in Latin) is a forked bone
Bone

Bones are rigid organ that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red blood cell and white blood cells and store minerals....
 found in bird
Bird

Birds are wing, Bipedalismal, endothermic , vertebrate animals that lay egg . There are around 10,000 living species, making them the most numerous tetrapod vertebrates....
s and theropod dinosaur
Dinosaur

Dinosaurs were the dominant vertebrate animals of Landform ecosystems for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic Period until the end of the Cretaceous Period , when most of them became extinct in the Cretaceous?Tertiary extinction event....
s, formed by the fusion of the two clavicle
Clavicle

In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is classified as a flat bone that makes up part of the shoulder girdle . It receives its name from the Latin clavicula because the bone rotates along its axis like a key when the shoulder is Abduction ....
s. In birds, its function is the strengthening of the thoracic
Thorax

The thorax is a division of an animal's body that lies between the head and the abdomen.In mammals, the thorax is the region of the body formed by the sternum, the thoracic vertebrae and the ribs....
 skeleton
Skeleton

In biology, a skeleton is a rigid framework that provides protection and structure in many types of animal, particularly those of the phylum Chordata and of the superphylum Ecdysozoa....
 to withstand the rigors of flight
Flight

Flight is the process by which an object moves either through the air, or movement beyond earth's atmosphere , by aerodynamically generating Lift , propulsion or Lighter than air using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
.

The following therapods have been found to have furculae: aves, dromaeosaurids (including a new North American species of Velociraptor
Velociraptor

Velociraptor is a genus of dromaeosaurid Theropoda dinosaur that existed approximately 75 to 71 mya during the later part of the Cretaceous Period ....
), Oviraptorids, Tyrannosaurids, Troodontids,Coelophysids and Allosauroids.

In human culture

The furcula is commonly referred to as a wishbone or merrythought because of the tradition that when two people hold the two sides of the bone and pull it apart, the one who gets the larger part will have a wish
Wish

A wish is a hope or desire for something. Fictionally, wishes can be used as plot devices. In folklore, opportunities for "making a wish" or for wishes to "come true" or "be granted" are themes that are sometimes used....
 granted. Today the wishbone, once removed from the turkey or chicken, is first dried and then held between the little fingers of two opposing "wishers". Once the wish has been made the bone is pulled by each person. The wisher who breaks off a larger section of bone is assumed to have their wish granted. Alternately, the winner of this contest may choose to transfer the fragment of the wishbone, along with the wish, to a person of their choosing. Because this is commonly a Thanksgiving tradition, this bone is also called the Thanksgiving bone.

In the Southern United States, it is also referred to as pulley bone, especially when served as a piece of chicken with meat from both adjacent breasts attached.

See also

  • Bird anatomy
    Bird anatomy

    Bird anatomy, or the physiology of birds' bodies, shows many unique adaptations, mostly aiding bird flight. Birds have evolved a light skeletal system and light but powerful musculature which, along with circulatory and respiratory systems capable of very high metabolic rates and oxygen supply, permit the bird to fly....