Elephant Foot Discovery of the Day: A 300-year-old debate about elephants’ feet has been settled by a new study from the UK’s Royal Veterinary College, which says that elephants have 5 toes, not 6.
The six-toe hypothesis has been around since 1710, when the first anatomical description of an elephant was published. According to new research, though, that sixth “toe” is actually a “predigit,” an extended version of the rounded tendon-anchoring bones seen in the feet of many mammals.
The predigit isn’t as flexible as a true toe, but it combines with the fatty pads on elephants’ feet to serve an important purpose: keeping the huge creatures upright.
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