Musculature that is derived from the epaxial myotome region, ventral to the horizontal septum of the vertebrae. Epaxial muscles include other (dorsal) muscles associated with the vertebrae, ribs, and base of the skull. [ http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6601-2165 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epaxial_and_hypaxial_muscles ]
Synonyms: epaxial muscles
Term information
- XAO:0003229
- EMAPA:37851 (MA:th)
- AAO:0000142
pheno_slim
Trunk muscles that lies dorsal to the horizontal septum.[AAO]
the muscles derived from the medial myotome; includes the intrinsic back muscles
In humans, the erector spinae, the transversospinal muscles (including the multifidus, semispinalis and rotatores), the splenius and suboccipital muscles are the only epaxial muscles
The hypaxial muscles are located on the lower side of the body, often below the horizontal septum in many species (primarily fish and amphibians). In amniotes, the positional distinctions have been lost as the body's muscles have changed through evolution, but in all species, the hypaxial muscles are innervated by the ventral ramus of the spinal nerves, while the epaxial muscles are innervated by the dorsal ramus.