Genetic 'switch' in animals offers clues to evolutionary origins of fine motor skills
Thursday, February 9, 2017 - 15:33
in Biology & Nature
Researchers have identified a genetic signature found exclusively in the nerve cells that supply, or innervate, the muscles of an organism's outermost extremities: the hands and feet. The findings suggest that the evolution of the extremities may be related to the emergence of fine motor control, such as grasping -- one of biology's most essential adaptations.