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Two almost bear patterns from a partial Symocyon of a sesamoid "thumb"

I’m really sorry for that pun. I’ve been waiting for years

Anyway, Laelaps (Brian Switek) has a lovely report on the panda’s “thumb” (actually, the sesamoid wrist bone being independently used by a bear lineage and a lineage closer to racoons than to bears, result in the giant panda and the red panda respectively) being an adaptation to a tree-dwelling lifestyle before the bamboo stripping behaviour later evolved.

2 Comments

  1. Wow. Dennis Miller thinks that joke was obscure.

    I, on the other hand, am on the verge of being impressed…as soon as I look up a few words…

  2. Paul Armstrong Paul Armstrong

    Interesting, because, IIRC, the corresponding bone on the panda’s ankle is also elongated, which could be explained in view of this tree dwelling past.

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