August 15th, 2011
biomedicalephemera: Lion Claw. Lion paws have an extra joint compared to other cats, and this gives them extra range-of-motion. Thanks to this additional range, lions can sink their claws deeper into prey than any other mammal, and they can hang on through a huge amount thrashing and struggling. Their broad pads that allow for silent movement also provide a huge surface area to back up a swipe with the claws, and combined with the massive forebody muscling, this allows lions to deliver a blow strong enough to break a zebra’s back. The Hand; its Mechanism and Vital Endowments, as Evincing Design. Sir Charles Bell, 1854.

biomedicalephemera:

Lion Claw.

Lion paws have an extra joint compared to other cats, and this gives them extra range-of-motion. Thanks to this additional range, lions can sink their claws deeper into prey than any other mammal, and they can hang on through a huge amount thrashing and struggling. Their broad pads that allow for silent movement also provide a huge surface area to back up a swipe with the claws, and combined with the massive forebody muscling, this allows lions to deliver a blow strong enough to break a zebra’s back.

The Hand; its Mechanism and Vital Endowments, as Evincing Design. Sir Charles Bell, 1854.

(via kenikila-deactivated20120316)

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    La garra del leon
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    Lion Claw.
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119 notes Source: biomedicalephemera #Charles Bell#claw#carnivores#Comparative Anatomy#lion#bones#mechanism#natural history#1800s#1854#predator#felidae
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