• Question: Why did humans tails disappear from when they were an embryo?

    Asked by to Paul, Gill on 4 Jan 2019. This question was also asked by .
    • Photo: Gill Harrison

      Gill Harrison answered on 4 Jan 2019:

      I don’t know the answer to this question, but am guessing it’s linked to evolution in general. Characteristics change over long periods of time to adapt to different environments. I don’t really know what function a tail would have in the modern environment for a human.

      When you look at a human spine in real or on an x-ray image (or ultrasound) there is the coccyx, which is the small area at the very base of the spine which looks like it might be the remaining part of the tail.

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