evolved

The case of the false thumb: The ‘amazing’ feature of the giant panda evolved at least six million years ago

Science / By

Artist’s reconstruction of Ailurarctos from Shuitangba. The grasping function of its false thumb (shown in the right individual) reached the level of modern pandas, while the radial sesamoid may have protruded slightly more than its modern thumb during walking (seen in the left individual). Credits: Illustration by Mauricio Anton Eating bamboo? It’s all in the …

The case of the false thumb: The ‘amazing’ feature of the giant panda evolved at least six million years ago Read More »

A 419-million-year-old Chinese fossil shows that the human middle ear evolved from fish gills

Science / By

3D Shuu brain enclosures. Credit: IVPP The human middle ear – which contains three tiny, vibrating bones – is key to transmitting sound vibrations to the inner ear, where they become nerve impulses that allow us to hear. Embryonic and fossil evidence proves that the human middle ear evolved from a fish ear. However, the …

A 419-million-year-old Chinese fossil shows that the human middle ear evolved from fish gills Read More »