A bone or anatomical structure forming the base or foundation of a larger structure, particularly in vertebrate anatomy.
From Latin 'basalis' meaning 'of or pertaining to a base,' derived from 'basis' (base or foundation). The term entered anatomical nomenclature during the 18th century Renaissance of scientific classification.
In fish fins, the basale bone is like the hip socket of a fish—it's where the fin attaches to the body, and understanding these structures helped scientists prove that fish fins and human limbs share the same ancient evolutionary blueprint.
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