Pandas thumbs
Pandas are kind of awsome, with their “thumbs” and bamboo-eating abilities.
“The way in which the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, uses the radial sesamoid bone — its ‘pseudo-thumb’ — for grasping makes it one of the most extraordinary manipulation systems in mammalian evolution. The bone has been reported to function as an active manipulator, enabling the panda to grasp bamboo stems between the bone and the opposing palm. ” – Endo, Yamagiwa, Hayashi et al. (1999) “Role of the giant panda’s ‘pseudo-thumb’”
—–
World Wildlife Foundation “Top 10 facts about Pandas” https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/fascinating-facts/pandas last accessed 6. february 2021
Endo, Yamagiwa, Hayashi et al.“Role of the giant panda’s ‘pseudo-thumb’” https://doi.org/10.1038/16830