(Redirected from Prehensile)'Prehensility' is the quality of an
organ that has
adapted for grasping or holding. Examples of prehensile body parts include the
tails of
New World monkeys and
opossums, the trunks of
elephants, the tongues of
giraffes, the lips of
horses and the
proboscides of
tapir. The hands of
primates are all prehensile to varying degrees, and many species (even a few
humans) have
prehensile feet as well. The
claws of
cats are also prehensile.
Proboscises are evolutionary adaptations that have allowed species to have a great natural advantage for manipulating their environment for feeding, digging, and defense. It enables many specialized animals such as primates to use tools in order to complete tasks that would otherwise be impossible. For example,
chimpanzees have the ability to use sticks to fish for
termites and grub.
The word is derived from the
Latin term ''prehendere,'' meaning "to grasp."
See also
★
Prehensile feet
★
Prehensile tail
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