synsacrum

[sin-sak-ruhm, -sey-kruhm]

noun

Ornithology.

plural

synsacra 

1. a dorsal ridge of bone in the pelvic region of birds, formed by the fusion of certain thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and caudal vertebrae.

Other Word Forms

• synsacral adjective
• presynsacral adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of synsacrum¹

First recorded in 1900–05; syn- + sacrum

Example Sentences

The researchers, led by Dr Xing Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, uncovered an incomplete skeleton of Xixianykus, which included seven vertebrae, the synsacrum, which is formed from fused vertebrae and helps carry the weight of the hind part of the animal, a few ribs, parts of the pelvic girdle and most of the right hindlimb.

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