| Abstract: | Tarsiers possess a very odd musculoskeletal foot anatomy that goes beyond their acknowledged specialized leaping adaptations. Tarsius has evolved a fundamentally different method of bone rotation to achieve an inverted foot position during grasping and has developed an unusual muscular system for holding onto vertical supports. Although galagos and tarsiers possess elongated foot bones as adaptations for leaping, galagos utilize many more types of movements, have specialized osteological surface for inversion, and have a more common type of muscle development in the foot and leg than tarsiers possess. Likewise, the Omomyidae, the ancestral lineage of Tarsius, exhibit a lack of morphological similarity with Tarsius in the known foot joints. |
