Freethought & Rationalism Archive

jdawg2 · 01-12-2002, 03:58 PM

<a href="http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_492558.html?menu=news.latestheadlines" target="_blank">http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_492558.html?menu=news.latestheadlines</a>

don't know if it's evolution related (it did say it happened by a genetic mutation, *shrug*), but I thought this was an amusing story...

Kaina · 01-12-2002, 04:39 PM

Human tails are more common than people think. I've read a review covering 20 years of hospital reports listing about 50 cases (reference will have to wait till I'm back at work on Monday). The tails are usually not the 4 inches shown in this report. If they don't involve the spinal cord, they're usually just snipped off.

Kaina · 01-14-2002, 01:49 PM

Here's that reference on human tails:

Lu FL, Wang PJ, Teng RJ, Yau KI. The human tail. Pediatric Neurology. 19(3):230-3, 1998 Sept. "The human tail is a congenital anomaly with a protruding lesion from the lumbosacrococcygeal region. (...) In reviewing the literature from 1960 to 1997, 59 cases were described."

ex-robot · 01-14-2002, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kaina:
<strong>Here's that reference on human tails:

Lu FL, Wang PJ, Teng RJ, Yau KI. The human tail. Pediatric Neurology. 19(3):230-3, 1998 Sept. "The human tail is a congenital anomaly with a protruding lesion from the lumbosacrococcygeal region. (...) In reviewing the literature from 1960 to 1997, 59 cases were described."</strong>

It would be interesting to know if any of these "tails" contained any cartilage or bone, if any were connected to the spinal column, and if an alternative explanation like birth abnormality was considered.

xr

Boro Nut · 01-15-2002, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kaina:
<strong>Human tails are more common than people think.</strong>

That's absolutely right. In fact, an incredible 50% of the world's population are born with tails, but this statistic goes largely unreported. The other 50% are born with front-bottoms.

kwigibo · 01-15-2002, 05:12 AM

anyone see Shallow Hal yet?

01-12-2002, 03:58 PM	#1
jdawg2 Regular Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Cedar Hill, TX USA Posts: 113	monkey god baby <a href="http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_492558.html?menu=news.latestheadlines" target="_blank">http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_492558.html?menu=news.latestheadlines</a> don't know if it's evolution related (it did say it happened by a genetic mutation, shrug), but I thought this was an amusing story...

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01-12-2002, 04:39 PM	#2
Kaina Regular Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Portland OR USA Posts: 158	Human tails are more common than people think. I've read a review covering 20 years of hospital reports listing about 50 cases (reference will have to wait till I'm back at work on Monday). The tails are usually not the 4 inches shown in this report. If they don't involve the spinal cord, they're usually just snipped off.

01-14-2002, 01:49 PM	#3
Kaina Regular Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Portland OR USA Posts: 158	Here's that reference on human tails: Lu FL, Wang PJ, Teng RJ, Yau KI. The human tail. Pediatric Neurology. 19(3):230-3, 1998 Sept. "The human tail is a congenital anomaly with a protruding lesion from the lumbosacrococcygeal region. (...) In reviewing the literature from 1960 to 1997, 59 cases were described."

01-15-2002, 05:12 AM	#6
kwigibo Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Gold Coast, QLD, Australia Posts: 5,814	anyone see Shallow Hal yet?

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