The pentadactyl limb
the pentadactyl limb has evolved in thousands of different ways to due the different uses it has depending on the animal it is attached too. The pentadactyl limb exsists in animals from dolphin to horse to bat, animals which each use the same limb in a completely different way. Every pentadactyl limb has the same base structure of five digits but they all look very different and also do very different things. This is all because of evolution.
the pentadactyl limb has evolved in thousands of different ways to due the different uses it has depending on the animal it is attached too. The pentadactyl limb exsists in animals from dolphin to horse to bat, animals which each use the same limb in a completely different way. Every pentadactyl limb has the same base structure of five digits but they all look very different and also do very different things. This is all because of evolution.
The horse pentadactyl limb evolution
The pentadactyl limb of the horse has evolved over time and has become something very unique to its purpose and what it does best; running. Millions of years ago this animal used to be a Eohippus that was very small with a lot more parts to its pentadactyl limb. Over the millions of years this limb has gotten rid of extra bones and slowly evolved so it has one long very thick, strong bone down the middle surrounded by muscle so thay it can repel the horse forward whilst running with all the strength and length it has. The original horse millions of years ago originally had a lot more fingers than it does now; conveying the fact that perhaps the modern horse doesnt actually need these. The horse used to have three points of contact to the floor but now only one. The middle toe got larger as the rest got smaller resulting in the modern horse. The modern horse foot is like the human hand if it just had the middle finger and no others and bent at the wrist. Due to the limbs and the hooves of the horse getting bigger it meant the horses were able to spread about the world into more grassland areas looking for more food or better food. The pentadactyl limb was changed therefor the diet could be changed, the horses where moving location and eating different foods, looking for food abit higher in the trees for example and this sort of thing would of effected natural selection and the limb would of had to get longer in order for the horses to survive.
The pentadactyl limb of the horse has evolved over time and has become something very unique to its purpose and what it does best; running. Millions of years ago this animal used to be a Eohippus that was very small with a lot more parts to its pentadactyl limb. Over the millions of years this limb has gotten rid of extra bones and slowly evolved so it has one long very thick, strong bone down the middle surrounded by muscle so thay it can repel the horse forward whilst running with all the strength and length it has. The original horse millions of years ago originally had a lot more fingers than it does now; conveying the fact that perhaps the modern horse doesnt actually need these. The horse used to have three points of contact to the floor but now only one. The middle toe got larger as the rest got smaller resulting in the modern horse. The modern horse foot is like the human hand if it just had the middle finger and no others and bent at the wrist. Due to the limbs and the hooves of the horse getting bigger it meant the horses were able to spread about the world into more grassland areas looking for more food or better food. The pentadactyl limb was changed therefor the diet could be changed, the horses where moving location and eating different foods, looking for food abit higher in the trees for example and this sort of thing would of effected natural selection and the limb would of had to get longer in order for the horses to survive.
The bat pentadactyl limb
The bat's pentadactyl limb has deffinatly evolved over time but it is not one tundred percent why or how. There are two theories as to how it evolved; one been the arborial theory and the other been the cursorial theory. The arborial theory states that the bat evolved from an animal that used to be slightly similar to the flying squirrel. This animal is said to have long spindaly limbs and fingers like the bat but couldnt fly. It just used the long limbs/bones and skin that stretched across then to jump and glide from place to place because it was said to live among the tree tops. The other theory of how the bat evolved states that they had the same structures as the other theory but used to run and leap from the ground or off the top of a cliff, perhaps. The bat now only has four digits instead of five. The four digits have become very elongated and thin, curving around with a few joints in them. These have been adapted perfectly for flying very uniquely. The bat is very agile, darting in every direction and its pentadactyl limb helps it do this perfectly. The other digits that appears to have dissapeared still exsists and it is above all of the other digits and is outside of the skin and is known as a 'claw' or 'hook'. This is what the bat uses to cling onto things with such as trees or other places that are similar so they can rest for example.
The bat's pentadactyl limb has deffinatly evolved over time but it is not one tundred percent why or how. There are two theories as to how it evolved; one been the arborial theory and the other been the cursorial theory. The arborial theory states that the bat evolved from an animal that used to be slightly similar to the flying squirrel. This animal is said to have long spindaly limbs and fingers like the bat but couldnt fly. It just used the long limbs/bones and skin that stretched across then to jump and glide from place to place because it was said to live among the tree tops. The other theory of how the bat evolved states that they had the same structures as the other theory but used to run and leap from the ground or off the top of a cliff, perhaps. The bat now only has four digits instead of five. The four digits have become very elongated and thin, curving around with a few joints in them. These have been adapted perfectly for flying very uniquely. The bat is very agile, darting in every direction and its pentadactyl limb helps it do this perfectly. The other digits that appears to have dissapeared still exsists and it is above all of the other digits and is outside of the skin and is known as a 'claw' or 'hook'. This is what the bat uses to cling onto things with such as trees or other places that are similar so they can rest for example.