3 ms·
Strange reptile fossil puzzles scientists
- rusanu 10y agoThe 'strange' part is clarified better in the Wikipedia page [0]: > The forelimb of Drepanosaurus is highly modified compared to other vertebrates and very robust. Its ulna was altered from being a forearm bone into an odd crescent shaped site for muscle attachment. The role played by the ulna in most tetrapods is replaced by an elongated carpal bone. Additional musculature would be attached to the high withers that characterized Drepanosaurus and its close relatives. What fascinates me and triggered me to submit here is how similar (in spirit) this adaptation is to the famous Panda's Thumb [1]. - [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drepanosaurus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drepanosaurus - [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Panda%27s_Thumb_(book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Panda%27s_Thumb_(book)