Answer to Question #118828 in Evolution for Jennifer

Question

Structural differences between the hind foot of a dog, goat and human

Answer 1

All three organisms have different foot structure and, as a result, when walking, this is noticeable, due to the different anatomical structure. People are plantigrade organisms whereas fingerwalking is typical for a dog and for a goat phalanxwalking. That is, with a static position in space, the heel bone of a human foot touches the surface and the weight is distributed evenly throughout the foot. In the dog, the heel bone is located above the surface and when walking the dog rests only on the fingers. The goat also has a calcaneus which is located above the surface and, when walking, they rely solely on the last phalanx of the fingers.