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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 4, 2026

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How moles walk; it's all thumbs.

Yi-Fen Lin1, Nicolai Konow2, Elizabeth R Dumont3

  • 1Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.

Biology Letters
|October 31, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Mole forelimb movement during walking is unique, differing from both erect and sprawling postures. The humerus moves in an unusual parasagittal plane, challenging previous hypotheses on tetrapod limb evolution.

Keywords:
forelimbhumeruslocomotionsesamoid bonetetrapodwalk

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Biomechanics
  • Vertebrate paleontology

Background:

  • Tetrapod limb posture evolved from sprawling to erect, but some species secondarily adopted sprawled postures for specific niches.
  • Moles, specialized diggers, exhibit unique forelimb anatomy and posture for burrowing but also walk for foraging.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate mole forelimb kinematics during walking using X-ray Reconstruction Of Moving Morphology (XROMM).
  • To determine if the mole humerus rotates around its long axis or moves in the horizontal plane during walking.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized X-ray Reconstruction Of Moving Morphology (XROMM) to analyze mole forelimb movement during locomotion.
  • Compared observed kinematics with known patterns in burrowing moles, echidnas, and sprawling reptiles.

Main Results:

  • Mole forelimb kinematics during walking are distinct from previously described tetrapod movements.
  • The humerus retracts and protracts in the parasagittal plane above the shoulder joint.
  • The 'false thumb' (os falciforme) supports body weight during a short stance phase.

Conclusions:

  • Mole walking kinematics challenge existing hypotheses on tetrapod limb evolution.
  • X-ray-based techniques are crucial for uncovering hidden joint mobility and locomotor functions.
  • Study expands understanding of tetrapod limb diversity and evolutionary adaptations.