4 ms·
Sounds like 5 fingers is the mutation!
by aetherspawn 7y ago
Sounds like 5 fingers is the mutation!
- arethuza 7y agoIsn't every feature of every living thing the result of a mutation?
- ObscureScience 7y agoOfcourse. But I wonder wonder if the sixth finger arose in humans or if it's an expression of an previously common structure that has been suppressed for the last couple of million years. I would wager on the latter.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- duskwuff 7y agoIt's an anomaly. Look at the analogous structures in other vertebrates -- in species where digits are discernable (i.e, discounting mammals with hooves or without front limbs at all), there are practically always five. Even a structure as unusual as a bat's wing is made up of five "fingers".
- mkl 7y agoLosing digits seems relatively easy - that's where hooves come from (horses have one toe left, goats two). It's gaining digits that seems very hard. It's possible that some configuration of six fingers could be better, but we probably can't get from our local optimum to that without going through major disadvantages. Apparently five has been the maximum number for most creatures for 420 million years: https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1org2e/why_do_most_mammals_have_5_fingers/ https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1org2e/why_do_m...