Dermal bone on the margin of the scapula. The cleithrum is attached to the skull in fishes, but free from the latter in amphibians and disappears early in the evolution of reptiles. [ VSAO:0000187 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleithrum ]
Synonyms: cleithra cleithrum bone
Term information
- VSAO:0000187
- AAO:0000750
- ZFA:0000184
- TAO:0000184
- Wikipedia:Cleithrum
- EFO:0003507
efo_slim
Commonly, the cleithrum is a large, well-ossified bone provided with a dorsal and a ventral arm that form an angle of about 90 or a few more degrees. The dorsal arm may end in a sharp or spine-like process to articulate with the supracleithrum. At the confluence of both arms the bone presents a blade extending postero-ventrally and that may have different development among fishes. The anterior edge of the cleithrum is usually thick and may produce a medial plate of different degrees of development.[TAO]
Paired bones of intramembranous origin. Each cleithrum extends medially from a point near the suprascapular-scapular articulation to invest the anterior margin of the suprascapula, and occasionoally it may extend to the dorsal (medial) surface. Usually, this bone is bifurcate.[AAO]
Dermal bone that articulates dorsally with the supracleithrum and ventro-medially with the scapula and coracoid and mesocoracoid bone when the last bone is present. With the posttemporal and supracleithrum, the cleithrum supports the primary pectoral girdle. The cleithrum is located immediately behind the branchial cavity.[TAO]
Found in some early members of Chelonia (e.g. Triassochelys), but missing in all later forms.
Term relations
- pectoral girdle bone
- dermal bone
- in taxon some (not Mammalia)
- part of some pectoral girdle skeleton
- cleithrum head
- postbranchial lamina
- posterior cleithral process
- posterior ramus of cleithrum
- spina acromioidea
- margo vertebralis
- sinus dorsalis
- anterior lamina recurvata
- posterior lamina recurvata
- margo posterior of cleithrum
- margo anterior of cleithrum
- margo scapularis
- anterior ramus of cleithrum
- anteroventral process of cleithrum