- Toilet-claw
A toilet-claw (toilet claw, grooming claw) is the specialized
claw ornail on thefoot of certainprimate s, used forpersonal grooming . Allprosimian s have a toilet claw, but the digit that is specialized in this manner varies.cite journal |author=Soligo, C., Müller, A.E. |year=1999 |title=Nails and claws in primate evolution |journal=Journal of Human Evolution |volume=36 |pages=97-114 |doi=10.1006/jhev.1998.0263]Tarsier s have a toilet claw ontoe two and toe three. With one possible exception, in the suborderStrepsirrhini , which includeslemur s,galago s and lorises, the toilet claw is on the second toe. The possible exception is theaye-aye , which has claws instead of nails on toes 2 through 5. There is some debate concerning whether any of these claws (and if so which ones) are toilet claws.Fact|date=September 2008The first toe is the large one, the equivalent of a human big toe. However, in all these prosimians the foot is more or less hand-like. The first toe is opposable, like a human
thumb , and the second and third toes correspond approximately to the index and middle fingers.Like a
claw or anail , the toilet-claw is also made ofkeratin . It resembles a claw in both its lateral compression and longitudinal curvature. However, the tip is not as pointed, and it always stands at a steeper angle, a characteristic that also distinguishes it from a nail.References
ee also
External links
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