Why do I have thumbs?
January 5, 2019
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Do other animals have thumbs besides us?

Lots of them, although the exact number depends on your definition of ‘’thumbs’’. Apes and many monkeys have opposable thumbs just like us, while smaller primates, pandas, and koalas have thumb like digits and claws that help them grip plants and prey.

Gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and bonobos belong to the same family of primates as humans, the Hominidae family?the family of great apes. Studies have revealed that great apes share 97 percent of their DNA, which explains the similarities they share with us humans. The anatomy of their hands, for instance, bears a striking resemblance to that of our hands. All have four long fingers plus an opposable thumb. Furthermore, all except for humans have opposable big toes as well.

Like us, all these species use their hands to hold tools, climb trees, move from one tree to another, gather food, build a dwelling place, and all this is achieved, despite the fact that they are quadrupedal, i.e., walk on all four limbs. If it was not for the much-touted opposable thumb, these species would have had a tough time trying to do something as simple as peeling a banana.

 

Picture Credit : Google

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