The Pentadactyl Limb Flashcards

All 4 cards in this deck

What is a pentadactyl limb?

A limb with five digits and the same basic arrangement of bones, found in many different vertebrate species.

Why does the pentadactyl limb suggest that bats and cats evolved from a common ancestor?

They have the same bone structure; such a structure is unlikely to have arisen more than once during evolution, so a common ancestor must have had it.

True or false? The pentadactyl limbs of different vertebrates all carry out the same function.

False. They have the same bone structure but different functions, e.g. flying, swimming, running.

Name the vertebrate groups that have pentadactyl limbs.

Amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.