Science and Creationism 39Radial sesamoidRadial sesamoidI
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FIGURE 2.3. The panda, like all Carnivora, has all five fingers forming a paw, but unlike other Carnivora, it eats
bamboo. Consequently, it has modified a wristbone, the radial sesamoid, into a crude “thumb” that enables
it to strip the leaves off bamboo. It works just well enough to feed a panda; it is not beautifully designed, but
crude, clumsy, and jury-rigged. (Drawing by Carl Buell)
out of its shell that looks vaguely like a fish. It’s not a very good fishing lure, but it’s
good enough to get fish to bite it and transfer the eggs to their gills, where they are
passed on to another generation. Similarly, the anglerfish (fig. 2.2B and C) has a crude
fringe on the tip of a spine above its eyes that looks vaguely fishlike, and when flicked
around, is just good enough to lure prey close enough to be gulped down. Again, it’s not
a very good facsimile of a fish, but it’s good enough to lure prey within reach. Gould’s
favorite example is the panda’s “thumb” (fig. 2.3). Pandas, like most cats, dogs, bears,
and members of the order Carnivora, have all five fingers united in a paw, yet pandas