Prehensility: Difference between revisions
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* [[Prehensile tail|Tails]] of many extant [[lizard]]s ([[gecko]]s, [[chameleon]]s, and a species of [[skink]]) are prehensile | * [[Prehensile tail|Tails]] of many extant [[lizard]]s ([[gecko]]s, [[chameleon]]s, and a species of [[skink]]) are prehensile | ||
* [[Seahorse]]s grip seaweed with their tails. | * [[Seahorse]]s grip seaweed with their tails. | ||
* Several [[fossil]] animals have been interpreted as having prehensile tails, including several [[Late Triassic]] [[drepanosaur]]s,<ref name="renesto2010">{{cite journal |last1=Silvio Renesto |first1=Justin A. |last2=Spielmann |first2=Spencer G. Lucas |first3=Giorgio Tarditi |last3=Spagnoli |year=2010 |title=The taxonomy and paleobiology of the Late Triassic (Carnian-Norian: Adamanian-Apachean) drepanosaurs (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha: Drepanosauromorpha) |journal=New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin |volume=46 |pages=1–81}}</ref> and possibly the [[Late Permian]] [[synapsid]] ''[[Suminia]]''.<ref name="frobisch2009">{{cite journal |first1=Jörg |last1=Fröbisch |first2=Robert R. |last2=Reisz |year=2009 |title=The Late Permian herbivore ''Suminia'' and the early evolution of arboreality in terrestrial vertebrate ecosystems |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B |volume=276 |issue=1673 |pages=3611–3618 |edition=Online first |doi=10.1098/rspb.2009.0911|pmid=19640883 |pmc=2817304 }}</ref> | * Several [[fossil]] animals have been interpreted as having prehensile tails, including several [[Late Triassic]] [[drepanosaur]]s,<ref name="renesto2010">{{cite journal |last1=Silvio Renesto |first1=Justin A. |last2=Spielmann |first2=Spencer G. Lucas |first3=Giorgio Tarditi |last3=Spagnoli |year=2010 |title=The taxonomy and paleobiology of the Late Triassic (Carnian-Norian: Adamanian-Apachean) drepanosaurs (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha: Drepanosauromorpha) |journal=New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin |volume=46 |pages=1–81}}</ref> and possibly the [[Late Permian]] [[synapsid]] ''[[Suminia]]''.<ref name="frobisch2009">{{cite journal |first1=Jörg |last1=Fröbisch |first2=Robert R. |last2=Reisz |year=2009 |title=The Late Permian herbivore ''Suminia'' and the early evolution of arboreality in terrestrial vertebrate ecosystems |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B |volume=276 |issue=1673 |pages=3611–3618 |edition=Online first |doi=10.1098/rspb.2009.0911|pmid=19640883 |pmc=2817304 |bibcode=2009PBioS.276.3611F }}</ref> | ||
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|- style="vertical-align: top;" | |- style="vertical-align: top;" | ||
| [[Tongue]] | | [[Tongue]] | ||
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* [[Giraffe]]s' tongues in particular are prehensile | * [[Giraffe]]s', [[anteater]]s' and [[lizard]]s' tongues in particular are prehensile | ||
* Some other [[ungulates]]' tongues are also prehensile to a lesser extent | * Some other [[ungulates]]' tongues are also prehensile to a lesser extent | ||
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Latest revision as of 12:43, 7 December 2025
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Prehensility is the quality of an appendage or organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. The word is derived from the Latin term prehendere, meaning "to grasp". The ability to grasp is likely derived from a number of different origins. The most common are tree-climbing and the need to manipulate food.[1]
Examples
Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Appendages that can become prehensile include:
| Hands and feet |
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| Tails |
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| Tongue |
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|
| Nose |
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| Lip or lips |
| |
| Tentacles |
| |
Uses
Prehensility affords animals a great natural advantage in manipulating their environment for feeding, climbing, digging, and defense. It enables many animals, such as primates, to use tools to complete tasks that would otherwise be impossible without highly specialized anatomy. For example, chimpanzees have the ability to use sticks to obtain termites and grubs in a manner similar to human fishing. However, not all prehensile organs are applied to tool use; the giraffe tongue, for instance, is instead used in feeding and self-cleaning.
See also
References
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