Disclosed is a panel, especially a floor panel, comprising a core (3) made of wood or a wood-plastic mixture, a top face (5), and a bottom face (4). Said panel (1, 2) has a respective corresponding profiled section on at least two opposite lateral edges (I, II) such that two identical panels (1, 2) can be interconnected and interlocked in a horizontal direction (H) and a vertical direction (V) by performing a substantially vertical joining movement, the locking action in the horizontal direction (H) can be performed by means of a hook-type connection encompassing an upper locking section (15) that has a hook element (13) and a lower locking section (16) which also has a hook element (14), the locking action in the vertical direction (V) can be performed by means of at least one horizontally (H) movable spring element (6), and during the joining movement, said at least one spring element (6) snappingly catches a locking edge running in a substantially horizontal direction (H). In order to design the disclosed panel as a thin panel with a rigid connection, the at least one spring element (6) monolithically protrudes from the core (3) and is formed within the lower locking section (16).