


However, hands and feet are serially homologous structures that share virtually. These similarities are often assumed to be independently evolved adaptations for manipulative activities and bipedalism, respectively. What do you notice about them? This is a substantial difference in the anatomy of human and ape feet, as human toes have greatly reduced all the phalanges but particularly the intermediate ones. Human hands and feet have longer, more robust first digits, and shorter lateral digits compared to African apes. Take a look at the intermediate phalanges in the human and ape feet. The one in the middle of the toe is called the intermediate phalanx. The closest to the rest of the foot is the proximal phalanx, the furthest is the distal phalanx. Each of these toes consists of three bones, which are called phalanges. The other toes, which are lateral to the hallux, are substantially longer in apes than in humans. In anatomical terms, the first toe is called the hallux, and it is on the medial side of the foot, the one closest to the midline of the body. The first toe in humans is often called the “big toe” or “great toe”, but in these apes it is quite a bit shorter than the other toes. While human feet are potentially stiffer than those of chimpanzees following heel lift, humans actually use a greater amount of midfoot motion than chimpanzees. Most obviously, ape feet have an opposable first toe. These feet are obviously different from human feet in several respects. You will also find some feet from two living species of great apes, gorillas and orangutans. “Articulated” means that the bones are assembled together at their joints – two bones that articulate with each other are connected at a joint. At this station, you’ll find some articulated human feet.
