Hi! How would you draw a tool-evolved cat paw?
Aeons ago I wrote some speculative biology thoughts on what a tool-focused cat would begin to look like, and mentioned the way that a caw's paw might evolve. I can try to draw it out as a sketch; but fair warning that I put my art style points into cartoony anime stuff SO you're not gonna get a realistic drawing lmao
Evolution doesn't "think." It's many changes over generations that snowball into bigger ones. So I tried to look at WHAT exactly is happening between an animal with less sophisticated tool use (chimp) and one that COMPLETELY relies on tools (human) to predict where the cat's paw would end up in a few thousand generations.
Please note! My paw would still be a "link" between the ancestor, and something even more reliant on tool use. This proposed species would still be 100% capable of doing what the cats in-canon do, like hunt alone. It's for a feline species that is tool-ADAPTED, not tool-RELIANT.
(In that way, it's more comparable to, say, a lemur and a chimp. But lemur palm refs were hard to find and I did this quick because I've already thought about it.)
This paw would exist in-tandem with a "tool tooth;" A V-shaped gap in the jawline that a single fang would nestle into. Early tool-using felines would likely use their mouth to "break" or "shear" their crafts, leading to broken teeth that would make them less successful. So there would be a lot of evolutionary pressure to have better, stronger teeth.
Evolution doesn't do "one thing at a time," so if you happened to port yourself into a group of these cats and watch them craft stuff, you'd see them using their mouths as well as their paws!
Finger Size + Tool Claw
When you see real cats batting stuff around and manipulating things, and when you look at canon where they like to "hook things on a claw," it's usually the index "finger" they favor. In fact, they do a LOT of "poking," even when a cat bats at something they seem to mostly explore with the tip of their paw.
So I figure that would actually be a big difference between this species and humans.
Unlike us, who usually have our middle finger as the longest (though there are exceptions) so we can "stabilize" the things we grab, I'd give these guys a "Tool Claw" which is not involved in grappling at all. It's longer, more deeply grooved, but also more fragile than the "hunting" claws.
When at rest, the Tool Claw would stick out from the rest of the foot, straight upwards. The fur is able to "sheathe" the other three, but the index's would be too long to be fully hidden.
Because one of those fingers is now mostly taken out of combat, the pinkie would probably thicken up to compensate. Another difference from the human hand. I can imagine that if the trend continues, they might end up supporting their full frontal weight on the pinkie pad to free up the other fingers for tool use.
(But evolution's not always predictable! They might end up becoming more "back heavy" like raccoons, or rely on the invention of shoe/gloves, or just abandon silent hunting all together to become tool-reliant.)
Paw Pad Changes
Cats use the pads on their paws to move silently. As long as the species is relying on silently stalking prey, they will need to have these pads in contact with the ground to be good hunters.
So instead of the digital pads sliding down to create the "top" of the palm, I figured the metacarpal pad would split in two. So now there's a snug, dipped "shape" with which they could nestle an object into as they work with it, but also there is ALWAYS still pad in contact with the ground.
The amount of fur in-between the bottom (metacarpal) and top (supercarpal) pads probably just depends on culture and genetics. It wouldn't really have enough of an impact on the paw to be selected for to be furry or hairless.
I can imagine some groups being weird about it and thinking it should be shaved or braided or something, lmao. Or cats who live in muddy environments clipping it for hygiene reasons.
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Songs I want to see as fics for the following ships:
Stepril, Wayhaught, SwanQueen, Jori, Supercorp/Supercarp/Superreigncorp, Rizzles, Avalance, Camren, Sparia...
About You - FLETCHER.
All For Believing - Missy Higgins.
All I Want Is You - A.C.E.
All Love - FLETCHER.
All These Years - Camila Cabello.
Already In Love - The Assassins (Ft. Liz Gillies).
Already Ready - Dan + Shay.
Amnesia - 5 Seconds Of Summer.
Are You Mine - Fern.
As Long As We Can - Kathy Bates.
As She’s Walking Away - Zac Brown Band (Ft. Alan Jackson).
Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi.
Beggar - Z.Tao.
Billie Jean - EDEN.
Blank Space - EDEN.
Blow Me (One Last Kiss) - Glee Cast (Melissa Benoist).
Body Like A Back Road - Sam Hunt.
Braclet - Lauv.
Black Ink Revenge - Automatic Loveletter.
Breathe - Lauv.
Breathe (2am) (Acoustic) - Anna Nalick.
Bruised And Scarred - Mayday Parade.
Butterflies - Gabbie Hanna.
California - Metro Station.
Chasing Pavements - Glee Cast (Melissa Benoist).
Come On My Way - 45 Spacer.
Comfortable - Lauv.
Coming Home Soon - Adam Woodall Band.
Complicated - The Assassins (Ft. Liz Gillies).
Consequences - Camila Cabello.
Crazy/You Drive Me Crazy - Glee Cast (Melissa Benoist)
Crazy In Love - EDEN (Ft. Leah Kelly).
Cry For Me - Camila Cabello.
Cryin’ - Ice Nine Kills.
Catching Feelings - Drax Project (Ft. Six60).
Decode (Acoustic) - Paramore.
Desire - The Assassins (Ft. Liz Gillies).
Did I Mention - Mitchell Hope (Descendants 3 OST).
Dirt - Florida Georgia Line.
Don’t Break Me Too - The Assassins (Ft. Liz Gillies).
Don’t Ever - Missy Higgins.
Don’t Let Me Stop You - Kelly Clarkson.
Don’t Say You Love Me - Fifth Harmony.
Dreamers - Oh Gravity.
Drunk On You - Luke Bryan.
Eastside (Acoustic) - Benny Blanco, Halsey & Khalid.
Easy - Camila Cabello.
Easy Love - Lauv.
Ember - Katherine McNamara.
Enimies - Lauv.
Everybody’s Fool - Evanescence.
Everyone’s Waiting - Missy Higgins.
Everything I Want - Steve Rushton (Hannah Montana Movie OST).
Everytime - Glee Cast (Melissa Benoist).
Expectations - Lauren Jauregui.
Falling - Oh Gravity.
The Fault In Our Stars - Troye Sivan.
Feel Good (Acoustic) - Gryffin & Illenium (Ft. Daya).
Find U Again - Mark Ronson (Ft. Camila Cabello).
Fineshrine - Purity Ring.
First Love Song - Luke Bryan.
Flashlight (Sweet Life Remix) - Hailee Stienfeld.
Fly Away - 45 Spacer.
FOOLS - Troye Sivan.
Forgive Me - Missy Higgins.
From Now On - Zac Brown Band.
Falling - Trevor Daniel.
Finally // Beautiful Stranger - Halsey.
From The Ground Up - Day + Shay.
Girl - Timecop1983 (Ft. Seawaves).
Girls Are Like Guns - Dominique Provost-Chalkley.
Give Me Love - Ed Sheeran.
Good And Gone - Seaforth.
Goodbye - Miley Cyrus.
A Grave Mistake (Acoustic) - Ice Nine Kills.
H.O.L.Y. - Florida Georgia Line.
Head Over Boots - Jon Pardi.
Healing Hands - Conrad Sewell.
Heart Go Bang - Blue October.
Hearts On Fire - The McClymonts.
Helena (So Long & Goodnight) - My Chemical Romance.
Hello - Evanescence.
Home - Blue October.
Home - Oh Gravity.
Honeymoon Avenue - Ariana Grande.
How You Remind Me - Nickleback.
I Do Not Hook Up - Kelly Clarkson.
I Don’t Know If We Can Be Friends - Hollyn.
I Don’t Wanna Live Forever - Ice Nine Kills.
I Feel Bad For You - Hollyn.
I Have Questions - Camila Cabello.
I Know A Place - MUNA.
I Like Me Better - Lauv.
I Love You - Little Mix.
I Love You, Goodbye - Elton Castee (Ft. Andie Case)
I Think We Should Break Up - Hollyn.
I Want Crazy - Hunter Hayes.
I Want You - Kelly Clarkson.
I Wasn’t Enough For You - Hollyn.
I’d Come For You - Nickleback.
I’ll Always Remember You - Hannah Montana.
I’m Not Okay (I Promise) - My Chemical Romance.
I’m Not The Only One - Sam Smith.
I’ve Been Waiting For You - Mamma Mia 2 Cast.
If I Can’t Have You - Kelly Clarkson.
If I Die Tomorrow - Florida Georgia Line.
If Today Was Your Last Day - Nickleback.
If We Were A Movie - Hannah Montana.
If You Can’t Live Without Me Why Aren’t You Dead Yet? - Mayday Parade.
If You’re Gonna Lie - FLETCHER.
In The Dark - Matt Woods.
Into It - Camila Cabello.
Into You - Fern.
It’s Not Over - 45 Spacer.
Jonathan (Acoustic) - Ice Nine Kills.
July - Noah Cyrus.
Katie - Missy Higgins.
Kelsey - Metro Station.
Kids In Love - Mayday Parade.
Kiss Somebody - Morgan Evans.
Knockin’ Boots - Luke Bryan.
Love, Death, Distraction - EDEN.
Leave My Heart Out Of This - Fifth Harmony.
Liar - Camila Cabello.
Lie 2 Me - Fern.
Living Proof - Camila Cabello.
Lonely - Noah Cyrus.
Lose You To Love Me - Selena Gomez.
Lost - Fern.
Love Bites - Ice Nine Kills (Ft. Chelsea Talmadge)
Love That - Seaforth.
Love Yourself - Dylan Scott.
Loving You Easy - Zac Brown Band.
Let Me Know - Clear Eyes, Drew Love & Lauren Jauregui.
Mad At You - Noah Cyrus & Gallant.
Mama - Jonas Blue (Ft. William Singe).
May We All - Florida Georgia Line (Ft. Tim McGraw).
Maybe - Oh Gravity.
Middle Of A Memory - Cole Swinde.
Mirrors - Boyce Avenue (Ft. Fifth Harmony).
Miserable At Best - Mayday Parade.
Moon And Moon - Bat For Lasges.
Moon River - Melissa Benoist.
More Than That - Lauren Jauregui.
My Heart I Surrender - I Prevail.
My Immortal (Band Version) - Evanescence.
My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson.
My Love, My Life - Mamma Mia 2 Cast.
Never Be The Same - Camila Cabello.
Never Fade Away - Oh Gravity.
Never Not - Lauv.
Nightminds - Missy Higgins.
No Tears Left To Cry - Ariana Grande.
Not Enough - Secondhand Serenade.
One Kiss - Sofia Carson (Descendants 3 OST).
The One That Got Away (Acoustic) - Katy Perry.
The Only Exception - Glee Cast.
The Other - Lauv.
Paranoid - Lauv.
Paris In The Rain - Lauv.
Perfect (Duet) - Ed Sheeran (Ft. Beyoncé).
Perfect - Topic & Ally Brooke.
Perfect Strangers (Acoustic) - Jonas Blue (Ft. JP Cooper).
Pressure - Milk & Bone.
Projector - EDEN.
Piece By Piece (Idol Version) - Kelly Clarkson.
Pool Mashup (Just A Dream/Just The Way You Are) - The Barden Bella’s.
Question - Lauv (Ft. Travis Mills).
Remember Me (Lullaby) - Coco OST.
Rewrite The Stars - James Arthur & Anne-Marie.
The River - Missy Higgins.
Runnin Home To You (Wedding Version) - Melissa Benoist.
Sangria - Blake Shelton.
Sara Lance - O-Sky.
Say Something (Low Pitch) - EDEN.
Secret Love Song (Part 2) - Little Mix.
Set Me On Fire - Missy Higgins.
Shake The Sand - Luke Bryan.
Shallow - Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper.
Shameless - Camila Cabello.
She Looks So Perfect - 5 Seconds Of Summer.
She Loves Control - Camila Cabello.
She’s Kinda Hot - 5 Seconds Of Summer.
Simple - Florida Georgia Line.
Someone Like You - Ice Nine Kills.
Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi.
Somewhere Only We Know - Dan + Shay.
The Sound Of White - Missy Higgins.
Space Between - Dove Cameron & Sofia Carson.
The Special Two - Missy Higgins.
Star-Crossed Enemies - Ice Nine Kills.
Starving (Acoustic) - Hailee Steinfeld.
Stay A Little Longer - Brothers Osborne.
Strangers - FLETCHER.
Strangers - Halsey (Ft. Lauren Jauregui).
Suitcase - Matthew Koma.
Sunshine & Whiskey - Frankie Ballard.
South Of The Border (Acoustic) - Ed Sheeran (Ft. Camila Cabello).
Untitled - EDEN.
Tie Me Down - Gryffin & Elley Duhé.
Taken Your Picture - Seaforth.
Talk You Out Of It - Florida Georgia Line.
Team - Noah Cryus & MAX.
Ten Days - Missy Higgins.
Tequila - Dan + Shay.
Tess-Timony - Ice Nine Kills.
They Weren’t There - Missy Higgins.
Too Good At Goodbyes - Sam Smith.
Unashamed Desire - Missy Higgins.
Undrunk - FLETCHER.
Wanna Dance With You - Fern.
Wanted - Hunter Hayes.
What Id Give - Sugarland.
When I Look At You - Miley Cyrus.
When I Was Your Man - Boyce Avenue (Ft. Fifth Harmony).
When You See My Friends - Mayday Parade.
Where I Stood (Acoustic) - Missy Higgins.
Who Are You (Acoustic) - Fifth Harmony.
Without A Fight - Brad Paisley (Ft. Demi Lovato).
Woke Up Late - Drax Project (Ft. Hailee Steinfeld).
Without Me - Halsey.
Write On Me - Fifth Harmony.
XO - EDEN.
Young At Heart - Amy Meredith.
You And Me - 45 Spacer.
You Should Be Here - Cole Swindell.
2U - Jungkook.
10AM Gare Du Nord - Keaton Henson.
Feel free to message me to add more songs to the list (:
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