Home » Health » This Study Says Humans Have Tails Like Primates

This Study Says Humans Have Tails Like Primates

We can only speculate why one of our ancestors fared so much better when its tail refused to grow.

The whole event is even more surprising when we consider the changes that have put us at increased risk of developing neural tube deformities that expose the spinal cord after birth, such as spina bifida.

So it’s definitely a significant advantage to let the tail end go.

More than just an extension hanging from the end of the spine, the tail is anchored in some serious anatomical structures around the hip area. Together, these bones, ligaments, and muscles pull the body into alignment, allowing for balance, and – in the case of some monkeys – the ability to perceive and manipulate.

So if humans had tails, they would also need hips and muscles to use them. Otherwise, they’ll be little better than long, complicated sausages shuffling along the ground. And nobody wants that.

This will not be a small change. Tailed primates tend to have longer tails with several vertebrae, to give them flexibility.

Apes, on the other hand, have a musculoskeletal specialization with a short lumbar section that extends from their tail. A stronger back can take the brunt of a fall or jump better, potentially paving the way for a larger body or quick jumps into low branches and descents to the ground.

As for the tail muscles, the old hypothesis suggests they never go to waste. Instead, they are co-opted as rigid structures that provide support to our abdominal organs such as the bladder and intestines.

That’s what allows us to put strong pressure on our intestines and still store all the chunks of fat.

With that in mind, if humans had tails like monkeys, there would have to be some adjustments to our entire body.

Even considering the potential brain space we need to allow to feel and move our clever new limb, we need to restore the pelvic floor muscles to provide support for those extra muscles and bones. This can increase the risk of multiple hernias and possibly slight incontinence, or even, forgetting the mechanics of bipedalism (walking on two legs) altogether.

The extent to which tail reduction helped our ancestors stand on their own two feet is debatable, as is the reason why it disappeared in the first place.

But had our ancestors held their tails, it’s possible that humans never even evolved at all.

– .

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.