The forelimbs of the whales became flippers.
A forelimb is a body part that refers to the limb located closest to the head, or upper torso. It is often seen in many four-legged or “quadrupedal” animals, such as horses, cheetahs, and dogs, and is often referred to as the foreleg. In humans, the arm is the equivalent of this part of the body, extending from the shoulder to the tips of the fingers. The forelimb is the corresponding part of the hind limbs or hind legs.
A horse’s forelimbs are connected to the body by muscles and tendons, not bones.
Compared to the hind leg, the front leg is usually shorter and supports more of the animal’s weight. This gives the animal more balance and stability and gives it some momentum when running, as the body naturally leans forward. In fact, when a horse runs, one of its front legs supports the entire weight of the animal for a fraction of a second.
Dogs and cats have forelimbs.
Generally, the forelimb consists of three or four main segments, as seen in a human arm which has the upper arm, forearm, and hand as the three segments. Many animals have common bones in the forelimbs, such as the humerus in the upper segment, the radius and ulna in the lower part, and the phalanges which refer to the leg or hoof bones. The carpals are the bones that generally connect the legs to the lower segment of the limb. The segmented characteristic of the forelimb anatomy allows the animals to have flexible movements and reduces the occurrence of serious injuries.
A bat’s wings are considered its forelimbs.
It is an interesting fact that the forelimbs of some animals, such as horses and cats, are not even connected to the skeleton by means of bones. In fact, they are connected to the body through muscles and tendons. A person can even sever one of the horse’s forelimbs without experiencing any single bone obstruction.
The forelimbs are usually part of a mammalian body, but are not commonly seen in some mammals, such as whales, seals, and bats, or in birds and fish. However, the fin and the wing are considered equivalent to the forelimb and even share the same type of bones with the forelimbs. This occurrence is said to be homologous, meaning that some body parts of many animals have the same structure. Many evolutionists interpret homology as evidence of evolution and that animals came from the same ancestor. Creationists, however, regard homology as evidence of “intelligent design.”