In rodent anatomy, the zygomatic plate is a bony plate derived from the flattened front part of the zygomatic arch (cheekbone).[1] At the back, it connects to the front (maxillary) root of the zygomatic arch, and at the top it is connected to the rest of the skull via the antorbital bridge.[2] It is part of the maxillary bone, or upper jaw, which also contains the upper cheekteeth. Primitively, rodents have a nearly horizontal zygomatic plate.[3] In association with specializations in zygomasseteric system, several distinct morphologies have developed across the order.
The term is also used for an analogous structure in some South American typotheres, including Pseudotypotherium[4] and Medistylus.[5]