September 7th, 2011
biomedicalephemera: The tongue of the woodpecker. Woodpeckers have tongues almost as long compared to skull length as anteaters do. It’s very effective for scooping up bugs trying to escape your pecking beak! The Hand; its Mechanism and Vital Endowments, as Evincing Design. Sir Charles Bell, 1854.

biomedicalephemera:

The tongue of the woodpecker.

Woodpeckers have tongues almost as long compared to skull length as anteaters do. It’s very effective for scooping up bugs trying to escape your pecking beak!

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

(via kenikila-deactivated20120316)

102 notes Source: biomedicalephemera #birds#woodpecker#tongue#anatomy#bones#Charles Bell#1800s#1852#comparative anatomy#beak#zoology#natural history
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)

119 notes Source: biomedicalephemera #Charles Bell#claw#carnivores#Comparative Anatomy#lion#bones#mechanism#natural history#1800s#1854#predator#felidae