A forked structure or organ, especially the Y-shaped bone found in birds that helps absorb shock from landing and flight.
From Latin 'furca' meaning fork, with the diminutive suffix '-ula'; the term was applied to bird anatomy because of its resemblance to a small fork.
The furcula in birds is also called the 'wishbone'—and when two people pull it apart after eating chicken, they're actually snapping a shock-absorbing structure that helps birds land without breaking their ribs!
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