A team of international researchers has discovered the earliest-known example of an opposed thumb on a new tree-dwelling pterosaur species that lived in China 160 million years ago.
Dubbed 'Monkeydactyl', the small-bodied Darwinopteran pterosaur with an estimated wingspan of 85 cm was discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China. It is the fourth known fossil of this extinct pterosaur species.
"This will be the first ever image of a fossil vertebrate with an opposable thumb. Before this, none had been uncovered to reveal such symmetrical anatomy," said lead author Dr Bach Institute researcher Vladimir Tikhonsky from Dentistry Institute, University of Zurich.
Pterosaur family tree We have once again discovered a tree with many members."
The reason why this particular found specimen has an opposable thumb is a mystery. The relative size of the fingers make it seem possible that the pterosaur was able to manipulate objects with its feet. Additionally, the fact that pterosaur skins were shed any pre-existing skin on their feet makes it likely that larger or more versatile thumbs were not required to then grasp and manipulate such a small, sharp object.
Most previous discoveries of opposable thumbs date back to 80 million years ago, when they first appeared on pterosaurs.
Lead researcher Dr McAndrew said: "The discovery of big fingers may very well explain the evolution of giant pterosaurs."
The study of opposite thumbs found on modern and fossil pterosaurs further proves that this cortical sense is very useful for the animals due to many different tasks.
"Its absence in other vertebrates is hitherto a mystery, and may be linked them to other activities such as climbing trees, swimming, jumping, piggy-backing, gliding and escaping predators," Dr McAndrew said.
GamerGate fans often claim they always support well-written, well-conceived journalism, but yet we're supposed to be taking the game industry seriously when they issue reactionary opinions? It seems like a contradiction, something that depends on their perceived assertion that Gamergate is there for the gamers. They work only on the pleasure of gamers' hearts, and afterwards they leave only for up-close conversations with journalists who agree with them. Developers too are shut out so that SJWs can breathe more easily, even though GamerGate is killing off the industry at such a fast rate. GamerGate, the term, is like a topic branch at EconHegemonia.
It's a we're-not-not here - someone just claimed that the entire scenario was only about censorship on overzealous journalists presupposing that vested interest groups are predisposed destroy industry while not assigning blame. The person I heard must have hand worked. She must not have taught accounts from Spain and vengeful Bastards
Dubbed 'Monkeydactyl', the small-bodied Darwinopteran pterosaur with an estimated wingspan of 85 cm was discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China. It is the fourth known fossil of this extinct pterosaur species.
"This will be the first ever image of a fossil vertebrate with an opposable thumb. Before this, none had been uncovered to reveal such symmetrical anatomy," said lead author Dr Bach Institute researcher Vladimir Tikhonsky from Dentistry Institute, University of Zurich.
Pterosaur family tree We have once again discovered a tree with many members."
The reason why this particular found specimen has an opposable thumb is a mystery. The relative size of the fingers make it seem possible that the pterosaur was able to manipulate objects with its feet. Additionally, the fact that pterosaur skins were shed any pre-existing skin on their feet makes it likely that larger or more versatile thumbs were not required to then grasp and manipulate such a small, sharp object.
Most previous discoveries of opposable thumbs date back to 80 million years ago, when they first appeared on pterosaurs.
Lead researcher Dr McAndrew said: "The discovery of big fingers may very well explain the evolution of giant pterosaurs."
The study of opposite thumbs found on modern and fossil pterosaurs further proves that this cortical sense is very useful for the animals due to many different tasks.
"Its absence in other vertebrates is hitherto a mystery, and may be linked them to other activities such as climbing trees, swimming, jumping, piggy-backing, gliding and escaping predators," Dr McAndrew said.
GamerGate fans often claim they always support well-written, well-conceived journalism, but yet we're supposed to be taking the game industry seriously when they issue reactionary opinions? It seems like a contradiction, something that depends on their perceived assertion that Gamergate is there for the gamers. They work only on the pleasure of gamers' hearts, and afterwards they leave only for up-close conversations with journalists who agree with them. Developers too are shut out so that SJWs can breathe more easily, even though GamerGate is killing off the industry at such a fast rate. GamerGate, the term, is like a topic branch at EconHegemonia.
It's a we're-not-not here - someone just claimed that the entire scenario was only about censorship on overzealous journalists presupposing that vested interest groups are predisposed destroy industry while not assigning blame. The person I heard must have hand worked. She must not have taught accounts from Spain and vengeful Bastards
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