Tag: thumb nail
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The Thumb Rule: How Flat Thumb Nails Shaped Rodent Evolution
The Thumb That Helped Rodents Conquer the World Rodents, a colossal group with more than 2,500 species, occupy almost every corner of the globe. A recent synthesis of museum archives, field observations, and scientific literature suggests that a tiny feature on their paws may have played a disproportionate role in their success: a flat nail…
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Rodent Thumb Nails: How Flat Nails Shape a Mammal Family
Flat Thumb Nails: The Tiny Tool That Changed Everything Rodents are the most diverse order of mammals, thriving from deserts to rainforests and cities. A new study based on the Field Museum archives suggests a tiny feature—the flat nail on the thumb—could help explain this global success. By surveying 433 species (out of roughly 522…
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The Rodent Rule of Thumb: Flat Thumb Nails Drive Diversity
The Thumb Nail Surprise in Rodents Rodents aren’t just small mammals chewing their way through forests and fields; they are a global success story. A new study from researchers at the Field Museum in Chicago suggests a simple, literal detail may help explain their remarkable diversity. They look at a feature right at the end…