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Hardy's hypothesis as outlined in New Scientist was: . My thesis is that a branch of this primitive ape-stock was forced by competition from life in the trees to feed on the sea-shores and to hunt for food, shell fish, sea-urchins etc., in the shallow waters off the coast.
Humans’ closest primate relatives lost their tails long ago, but exactly how has remained a mystery. A breakthrough in genetic research may finally offer answers. Why don’t humans have tails?
In 2024, scientists claimed to have found a genetic mutation that contributed to the loss of the tail in the common ancestor of humans and other apes. [24] [25] Humans have a "tail bone" (the coccyx) attached to the pelvis; it comprises fused vertebrae, usually four, at the bottom of the vertebral column.
Most bipedal animals move with their backs close to horizontal, using a long tail to balance the weight of their bodies. The primate version of bipedalism is unusual because the back is close to upright (completely upright in humans), and the tail may be absent entirely. Many primates can stand upright on their hind legs without any support.
The researchers compared the genomes of six species of apes, including humans, and 15 species of monkeys with tails to pinpoint key differences between the groups. Our ancient animal ancestors had ...
Males have longer tails than females, experts said, but the species generally has a “relatively short” tail. Researchers said the species also has one to five “small, seed- or heart-shaped ...
The coccyx, or tailbone, is the remnant of a lost tail. [19] All mammals have a tail at some point in their development; in humans, it is present for a period of 4 weeks, during stages 14 to 22 of human embryogenesis. [20] This tail is most prominent in human embryos 31–35 days old. [21]
As humans grew more proficient with visual and vocal systems, the evolutionary pressure to move their ears ceased. This caused the auricular muscles to become vestigial, scientists thought.