a narrow branchiomeric muscle found in mammals, extending from the styloid process of the skull to the hyoid. easily confused with nearby muscles in the posthyoid region such as the mylohyoid, geniohyoid, hyoglossus, styloglossus, sternohyoid, sternothyroid, thyrohyoid, and sternomastoid. not a very fun spot for animal science students dumb enough to take vertebrate anatomy classes.