Ever wonder why you have thumbs?

Sonic the Hedgehog Is Why You Have Thumbs! Be Smart

Premiered April 07, 2014
Sonic the Hedgehog Is Why You Have Thumbs!

The human hand, with its multi-talented thumb, might be man's greatest tool. But did you know we can trace that thumb, and the hand and arm it's connected to, all the way back to a 375 million-year-old fish named Tiktaalik? This week I sit down with paleontologist and geneticist Dr. Neil Shubin to learn what a fish, and a little blue hedgehog, can teach us about the evolution of thumbs

About the Program

Be Smart

Join Joe Hanson as he explores curiosity and illuminates the science behind… well, everything.

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