Cheiropatagium

/ˌkaɪrəpəˈteɪdʒiəm/ noun

Definition

The wing membrane of a bat, specifically the membranous tissue connecting the hand and arm bones to form the wing.

Etymology

From Greek χείρ (cheír) 'hand' and πτερύγιον (pterýgion) 'small wing,' describing how bat wings are essentially modified hands.

Kelly Says

Bat wings aren't like bird wings at all—they're stretchy membranes between elongated finger bones, so cheiropatagium perfectly describes bat anatomy as 'hand-wings' that evolved from mammalian fingers.

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