AN ANATOMICAL MISCELLANY
A coot’s foot
WEBBED TOES ARE GREAT FOR propulsion in water, but as anyone who has tried walking in flippers knows, they are not built for elegance on land. A coot’s ‘lobate’ foot is an exquisitely engineered solution to unfettered locomotion in both worlds. Each toe sports hinged flaps that increase the foot’s surface area for swimming but can fold back out of the way when not in use on land.