What is "ectotympanic"

n. (context anatomy English) A bone that suspends the eardrum ((term: tympanum))

The ectotympanic, or tympanicum, is a bony ring in the tympanic part of the temporal bone that holds the eardrum, or tympanic membrane. Its position and attachment to the skull vary within mammals, and particularly primates, and can be either inside or outside the auditory bulla.

It is homologous with the angular bone.