Preferred Label : head somite;
Uberon definition : Somite located in the head region, caudal to the otic vesicle;
Uberon synonym : occipital somite;
Uberon related term : cranial somite;
Uberon Development note : They provide the epaxial and hypaxial muscles of the neck, the pharyngeal and laryngeal
muscles that develop in the caudal branchial arches and the musculature of the tongue.
Despite their localisation in the head, myogenic precursors from occipital somites
essentially follow the trunk programmes (E. H. Walters and S. D., unpublished). during
evolution, have been secondarily incorporated into the head (Gans and Northcutt, 1983);
Uberon Taxon note : in humans this includes somites 1-4;
Origin ID : 0005594;
develops from
- develops into
- part of
Somite located in the head region, caudal to the otic vesicle
