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Evolution of thumbnails across Rodentia.

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Title: Evolution of thumbnails across Rodentia.
Authors: Missagia, Rafaela V., Feijó, Anderson, Johnson, Lauren, Allen, Maximilian L., Patterson, Bruce D., Jenkins, Paulina D., Shepherd, Gordon M. G.
Source: Science. 9/4/2025, Vol. 389 Issue 6764, p1049-1053. 5p.
Subjects: Rodent evolution, Rodent ecology, Rodent behavior, Rodent adaptation, Primates
Abstract: The unguis (hoof, claw, or nail) of the first digit (D1, also known as the thumb or pollex) of the tetrapod hand exhibits numerous functional adaptations, but its macroevolutionary association with ecological diversity is unknown. Across Rodentia, we find that most extant genera and ancestral lineages bear D1 nails. Exceptions follow structure-function associations that arose independently multiple times, specifically, the gain of D1 claws with subterranean habits and the loss of D1 ungues with oral-only feeding behavior. We hypothesize that early acquisition of D1 nails and manually dexterous food handling was crucial for rodents to adaptively leverage cranial specializations for efficient gnawing and thereby exploit hard seeds and nuts, a niche that they dominated after the extinction of multituberculates. Our study recasts ideas about rodent evolution and uncovers a previously unrecognized contributor to their successful radiation. Editor's summary: The vertebrate "hand" has undergone remarkable transformations, from the flexible tool we humans use to the enormous yet flat fore flipper of a whale. One less-explored component of this limb is the presence of either nails, as in primates, or claws, as in predators and diggers. Missagia et al. looked at different types of rodents, which vary with regard to this feature, some bearing a claw on their "thumb" and others a nail. The researchers concluded that the ancestral condition was the presence of a nail, which facilitated rodents' well-known dexterous handling of food. Only species that evolved to dig or lost this handling acquired a claw. —Sacha Vignieri [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Evolution of thumbnails across Rodentia.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Missagia%2C+Rafaela+V%2E%22">Missagia, Rafaela V.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Feijó%2C+Anderson%22">Feijó, Anderson</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Johnson%2C+Lauren%22">Johnson, Lauren</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Allen%2C+Maximilian+L%2E%22">Allen, Maximilian L.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Patterson%2C+Bruce+D%2E%22">Patterson, Bruce D.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jenkins%2C+Paulina+D%2E%22">Jenkins, Paulina D.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shepherd%2C+Gordon+M%2E+G%2E%22">Shepherd, Gordon M. G.</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Science%22">Science</searchLink>. 9/4/2025, Vol. 389 Issue 6764, p1049-1053. 5p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rodent+evolution%22">Rodent evolution</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rodent+ecology%22">Rodent ecology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rodent+behavior%22">Rodent behavior</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rodent+adaptation%22">Rodent adaptation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Primates%22">Primates</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: The unguis (hoof, claw, or nail) of the first digit (D1, also known as the thumb or pollex) of the tetrapod hand exhibits numerous functional adaptations, but its macroevolutionary association with ecological diversity is unknown. Across Rodentia, we find that most extant genera and ancestral lineages bear D1 nails. Exceptions follow structure-function associations that arose independently multiple times, specifically, the gain of D1 claws with subterranean habits and the loss of D1 ungues with oral-only feeding behavior. We hypothesize that early acquisition of D1 nails and manually dexterous food handling was crucial for rodents to adaptively leverage cranial specializations for efficient gnawing and thereby exploit hard seeds and nuts, a niche that they dominated after the extinction of multituberculates. Our study recasts ideas about rodent evolution and uncovers a previously unrecognized contributor to their successful radiation. Editor's summary: The vertebrate "hand" has undergone remarkable transformations, from the flexible tool we humans use to the enormous yet flat fore flipper of a whale. One less-explored component of this limb is the presence of either nails, as in primates, or claws, as in predators and diggers. Missagia et al. looked at different types of rodents, which vary with regard to this feature, some bearing a claw on their "thumb" and others a nail. The researchers concluded that the ancestral condition was the presence of a nail, which facilitated rodents' well-known dexterous handling of food. Only species that evolved to dig or lost this handling acquired a claw. —Sacha Vignieri [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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