The hyoid bone: an overview

The hyoid bone is a small horseshoe-shaped bone located between the mandible and the shoulder girdle. It is classified as a sesamoid bone which means it is a freely floating bone. However, it is anything but freely floating. The hyoid bone is a vestigial structure and is found as part of the tongue in lower animal forms. The hyoid bone is attached to the base of the skull, the mandible, the tongue, the larynx, and the scapular belt. Even though...