#monkeydactyl

[typhlonectes]

160-million-year-old ‘Monkeydactyl’ was the first animal to develop opposable thumbs

The ‘Monkeydactyl’ was a flying reptile that evolved highly specialized adaptations in the Mesozoic Era.

A newly discovered flying dinosaur nicknamed “Monkeydactyl” is the oldest known creature that evolved opposable thumbs, according to new research published in Current Biology. The 160-million-year-old reptile is officially named Kunpengopterus antipollicatus. Discovered in China, the dinosaur was a darwinopteran pterosaur, a subgroup of pterosaurs, which first appeared 215 million years ago during the Triassic Period. Pterosaurs, like the pterodactyl, were the first vertebrates to evolve the ability of powered flight. But unlike other pterosaurs, the Monkeydactyl was the only species in its group known to have opposable thumbs. It’s a rare adaptation for non-mammals: The only extant examples are chameleons and some species of tree frogs. (Most birds have at least one opposable digit, though that digit is usually classified as a hallux, not a pollex, which means “thumb” in Latin.) To analyze the anatomy of K. antipollicatus, an international team of researchers used microcomputed tomography scanning, which generates images of the inside of the body...

Read more: 160-million-year-old ‘Monkeydactyl’ was the first animal to develop opposable thumbs - Big Think

[toot-bender]

Look up "Monkeydactyl."

Would it be possible to make a semi-realistic set of wings with mobile hands on a bird-like or bat-like person with either webbed pterosaur-like wings or feathered ones without making the fingers extended as part of the wings? I know that the dinosaur Yi Qi has an extended wrist bone compared to other dinosaurs/animals that just have their fingers modified into wings.

technically, yes, I think it could work. But if the only thing holding up the wing membrane is a mostly-immobile bone strut with no other joints aside from the one by the wrist, I don't think it really has any advantages over the pterosaur method of having one very very long finger that can bend and give the wing more flexibility while the other fingers remain free.

(image description: sketches of a yi-qi style wing. the first sketch is a normal one, with three long fingers and a solid bone strut extending from the wrist, all connected to a wing membrane. the second sketch modifies it so the three fingers are shorter and no longer attached to the membrane. the final sketch shows a humanoid figure with these modified wings in place of arms. end description.)

compare this to the structure of a pterosaur wing: (source)

(image description: pterosaur wing bones, showing the three free fingers and the one incredibly long four-jointed finger that holds up the wing membrane. end description.)

it's pretty much the exact same structural shape as the yi-qi wing with modified free fingers, but while the yi-qi modification has one solid bone at the edge of the membrane, only jointed at the wrist, the pterosaur wing has one flexible finger with multiple joints at the edge of the membrane. and regardless of which option you go with, the free fingers are also still attached to the wrist of the wing and will still affect and be affected by the movement of the wing. Personally, I think if you want wing arms with free fingers, the pterosaur is a perfectly good template to start from.

[saint-nevermore]

kunpengopterus catch bug :)

[saritawolff]

Archovember Day 1: My Choice

I was at first going to do a dromeosaur since I had to leave them out this year (oops. Next year for sure) but with the publication of Kunpengopterus antipollicatus earlier this year I realized I simply must draw this unique pterosaur.

While the other species of Kunpengopterus, K. sinensis, was described in 2010, K. antipollicatus was described early 2021, and this description managed to “escape” paleontological circles and into the general media, where it quickly earned the common name “Monkeydactyl.” This is due to the fact that it has opposable thumbs, a feature that’s very rare among non-mammals. This is also the earliest known record of opposed thumbs!

Kunpengopterus antipollicatus lived in China during the middle-late Jurassic, and it’s thumbs were likely an adaptation to an arboreal lifestyle. Disregarding its digits, this was a relatively small, unassuming darwinopteran with an estimated wingspan of 33.5 inches. To go with the monkey theme, this would make it about the size of a small tamarin or marmoset. (In fact, the colors I used are inspired by the golden-headed lion tamarin!)

[notafrogblog]

bestie you’re excellent and one of my favorite mutuals but is the “cum/cumself” a joke or not I legitimately cannot tell

:))))

[fluffyyutyrannus]

The reason was that Kunpengopterus was called "the Monkeydactyl" by the media when It got described, that being due to it having an opposable thumb, probably something evolved to climb on trees, It just felt like the perfect choice for It, expecially with It being chinese if I remember correctly

People have reposted this on reddit apparently so I might as well repost them on tumblr:

the Kung fu Panda crew as Dinosaurs / Prehistoric Animals

[agni-ignition]

you know what? fuck this. fuck you. *un-teams your fortress*

[speedygal]

[techmomma]

AND LAST PART FOR CRAYON, PART 4

Bambiraptor! One of a few dinos that evolved OPPOSABLE THUMBS. For an artist like you Crayon, this felt like a must! We may not have evidence that dinos used sticks and charcoal BUT WE CAN BELIEEEVVEEEE

[speedygal]

MONKEEEYYYYDACTYLE!

IT'S SO ADORAAAAABBBLLE. AHHH. beautiful, gorgeous, magnificent.

Important Science News Update

A new pterosaur has just been described!! It’s called Kunpengopterus, it’s from the Jurassic of China, and it has,,,

Opposable thumbs??? 

[official release artwork by Chuang Zhao]

Lil grabby hands???

Not only does it have opposable thumbs, since it’s from the Jurassic that makes it the oldest known animal with true opposable thumbs! This suggests it was highly arboreal, using its hands to climb trees or other difficult terrain.

I just,,,

[art by Gabriel Ugueto]

[smylealong]

Some Pterosaurs

Quetzalcoatlus (The largest creature to have ever flown)

Tropeognathus

Pteranodon

Ramphorynchus

Arambourgiania

Nemicolopterus (smallest known pterosaur)

Kunpengopterus antipollicatus (Nicknamed Monkeydactyl because of its opposable thumbs).

Caelestiventus hanseni (Oldest known Pterosaur)

Hatzegopteryx

These wonderful creatures were the first vertebrates to have ever flown. They were not birds. They were not dinosaurs. They were reptiles who mastered the powered flight. They came in all shapes and sizes. From a giant with a wingspan rivaling that of a two-seater plane to a tiny arboreal creature with a wingspan of 10 inches, Pterosaurs were one of evolutions most bizarre and wonderful outcome. For the longest time, scientists had no idea how a creature, that resembled a broken umbrella, took to the skies. Even today, we can only hypothesize based on the tracks we have found. We can never know for certain for nothing like them exists today. What we do know about these marvelous creatures that the largest among them could cross continents in one flight that could last for days.

Pterosaurs were the true masters of the skies. I will shed more light on this wonderful lineage (if and) when I complete my essay on them.

[speedygal]

K. antipollicatus, K. antipollicatus

does whatever a

monkey can do,

flaps their wings,

climb a tree,

fly into the sky,

Look out!

Here comes the monkeydactyl!

'monkeydactyl': scientists discover jurassic era flying reptile with oldest opposable thumbs

[guthrie-odonto]

Yo new pterosaur dropped and it got

T H U M B S

[bowiecoded]

medic-gaming -> monkeydactyl

[speedygal]

Mammals will have to take a seat in history books after a group of international scientists discovered a flying reptile with the oldest recorded opposing pollex – commonly known as a thumb.

In a report released Monday, scientists announced the finding of the 'Monkeydactyl' that lived 160 million years ago in a forest ecosystem in China during the Jurassic era.