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Skeletal system

Coccyx

Os coccygis

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System
Skeletal system
Regions
Trunk, Abdomen, Pelvis, Back
Part of
Vertebral column
Coccyx (Os coccygis) highlighted in a 3D model of the human body
3D model: Z-Anatomy - The libre 3D atlas of anatomy - CC-BY-SA 4.0

DescriptionUnreviewed

The coccyx (plural: coccyges or coccyxes), commonly referred to as the tailbone, is the final segment of the vertebral column in all apes, and analogous structures in certain other mammals such as horses.

In tailless primates (e.g. humans and other great apes) since Nacholapithecus (a Miocene hominoid), the coccyx is the remnant of a vestigial tail.

In animals with bony tails, it is known as tailhead or dock, in bird anatomy as tailfan.

It comprises three to five separate or fused coccygeal vertebrae below the sacrum, attached to the sacrum by a fibrocartilaginous joint, the sacrococcygeal symphysis, which permits limited movement between the sacrum and the coccyx.

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Source: Wikipedia · Text licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 · This text comes from the source data and has not been reviewed by a person yet.

Landmarks

Names

Latin
Os coccygis
English
Coccyx
French
Coccyx
Spanish
Cóccix
Portuguese
Cóccix

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