Posterior auricular branch of the facial

Posterior auricular nerve
Plan of the facial and intermediate nerves and their communication with other nerves. (Post. auricular br. labeled at bottom left.)
The nerves of the scalp, face, and side of neck. (Post. auricular visible near center, behind ear.)
Details
From	facial nerve
Innervates	posterior auricular muscle, occipitalis muscle (posterior part of occipitofrontalis)
Identifiers
Latin	n. auricularis posterior
Dorlands /Elsevier	n_05/12565234
TA	A14.2.01.102
FMA	53278
Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy []

The posterior auricular nerve arises from the facial nerve close to the stylomastoid foramen and runs upward in front of the mastoid process; here it is joined by a filament from the auricular branch of the vagus and communicates with the posterior branch of the great auricular as well as with the lesser occipital.

As it ascends between the external acoustic meatus and mastoid process it divides into auricular and occipital branches.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)