This week I thought I’d hit you with a little comparative anatomy to celebrate Thanksgiving. Furcula means ‘small fork’ in Latin. It’s customary to make a wish on it around this time of the year. It’s the wishbone! Found in birds, it’s the fusion of the 2 clavicles. It acts like a spring in the pectoral girdle of birds to aid in flying. Have you ever noticed that it’s sometimes hard to break, even after cooking it? Some birds however, don’t have a furcula like some parrots, owls, and toucans (among others). The custom of 2 people pulling the wishbone and making a wish may have originated as early as the 1600’s. Back as early as the 1400’s, gooses’ wishbones dried overnight were used to predict the harshness of the winters. I hope you found this interesting! I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving 🙂 (If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you also have a great week! 🙂 )
