The increased use of imaging technology in biological research has drastically altered
morphological studies in recent decades and allowed for the preservation of important …

Birds are some of the most diverse organisms on Earth, with species inhabiting a wide
variety of niches across every major biome. As such, birds are vital to our understanding of …

Morphology of keratinised toe pads and foot scales, hinging of foot joints and claw shape
and size all inform the grasping ability, cursoriality and feeding mode of living birds …

Background Birds are key indicator species in extant ecosystems, and thus we would expect
extinct birds to provide insights into the nature of ancient ecosystems. However, many …

The link between claw morphology and function has been historically difficult to quantify,
analyze, and interpret. In this study, the functional morphology of vertebrate claws is …

The traditional story of the evolution of the horse (family Equidae) has been in large part
about the evolution of their feet. How did modern horses come to have a single toe (digit III) …

Furnariida (ie ovenbirds, woodcreepers and antbirds) cover diverse ecologies and
locomotor habits, ranging from strictly terrestrial to climbing birds, with different degrees of …

Accurate identification of waterfowl bones in archaeological and fossil assemblages has
potential to unlock new methods of past environmental reconstruction, as species have …

Neotropical leaf-nosed bats (family Phyllostomidae) are one of the most diverse mammalian
families and Artibeus spp. is one of the most speciose phyllostomid genera. In spite of their …

A new skeleton of the exceedingly rare, late Carboniferous eureptile Anthracodromeus
longipes, reveals the presence of a reduced phalangeal count in the manus and pedes and …