Good question ... the definition of an opposable thumb according to the Encyclopedia Britannica (
http://www.britannica.com/ ) is:
primates (in primate mammals);
...capable of grasping objects such as branches. Not all primates have similarly dextrous hands; only the catarrhines (Old World monkeys, apes, and humans) and a few of the lemurs and lorises have an opposable thumb. Primates are not alone in having grasping feet, but as these occur in many other arboreal mammals (e.g., squirrels and opossums), and as most present-day primates are arboreal, this...
in primate (mammal): Hands and feet
The critical component of the prehensile hand in terms of skilled manipulation is the opposable thumb—a thumb, that is to say, that is capable of being moved freely and independently. The movement of opposition is a rotary movement in which the thumb, swinging about its own axis, comes to face the lower surface of the tips of the fingers. The opposable thumb is the basis of the precision...
Humans have an Opposable thumb on each hand ... lets check out a drawing of another opposable thumb and compare it to the front and hind paws of chinchilla paws pictured below.
Then, be sure to vote! Each vote can be cast at the beginning of this thread.
Jo Ann
Poll
