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Nails and claws in primate evolution

C Soligo1, A E Müller

  • 1Anthropologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich-Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, CH-8057, Switzerland.

Journal of Human Evolution
|January 30, 1999
PubMed
Summary

The earliest primates likely had nails and a unique toilet-claw on their second toe, not claws. This study revises understanding of primate evolution and digit morphology.

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Area of Science:

  • Primate Paleontology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Morphological Analysis

Background:

  • The evolution of primate digits, specifically the presence of nails versus claws, is crucial for understanding primate origins.
  • Investigating the shape and histological structure of primate appendages provides insights into ancestral traits.

Observation:

  • This study reviews existing data and presents new findings on primate digit morphology, including the toilet-claw in Daubentonia madagascariensis.
  • Histological examination reveals two distinct strata in primate nails, challenging the notion of a single-layered nail in most species.

Findings:

  • The last common ancestor of extant primates possessed nails on most pedal digits and a specialized toilet-claw on the second digit.
  • Both nails and the toilet-claw in this ancestor were composed of two distinct horny strata.

Implications:

  • This research reframes the understanding of early primate digit evolution and the ancestral state of their appendages.
  • New hypotheses are proposed regarding the adaptive significance of these nail and toilet-claw structures in primate evolution.

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