furca

zoology

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June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

In zoology, a furca (plural: furcae) is a forked process or projection found in various organisms. It can refer to an internal skeletal projection from the ventral thoracic wall in certain insects. In some crustaceans, the furca is a two-forked last abdominal segment. This structure can vary in form, sometimes being short and other times as long as the rest of the body.12

A related term, furcula, also denotes a forked process. Specifically, it can be the forked leaping appendage on the fourth abdominal segment of springtails. Additionally, the term mesofurca describes the middle apodeme of an insect's thorax, projecting upward from the sternum.34

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crustacean
General features
…rami, which together form the furca. These two processes at the tail end of the body vary greatly in form; in many crustaceans they are short, but in some they may be as long as the rest of the body. The Crustacea as a whole shows great variation in the…
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…rami, which together form the furca. These two processes at the tail end of the body vary greatly in form; in many crustaceans they are short, but in some they may be as long as the rest of the body. The Crustacea as a whole shows great variation in the…
Read More