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Publication

Anatomical adaptions to varying functional demands in the primate thumb.

Book - Dissertation

The development of a bipedal gait marks the point in human evolution that freed our hands from locomotor tasks, resulting in unprecedented dexterity of the hand. This enhanced dexterity largely depends on the high mobility of the thumb. The mobility and full opposability of the modern human thumb allow for precise manual activities as well as the forceful gripping that currently dominate our daily lives. Despite the importance to human evolution, functional adaptations of the thumb in relation to this change in habitual locomotion remain poorly understood. By comparing the anatomy and biomechanics of the thumb, with in particular the trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint, in nonhuman primate species employing different locomotor types, we seek to contribute to the understanding of functional adaptations in primate thumb anatomy.
Number of pages: 1
Publication year:2021
Accessibility:Open