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>and would interfere with sitting and lying postures. I think that assumes that a hypothetical modern human tail would still be attached to the spine. A tail s
by underlipton 3y ago
>and would interfere with sitting and lying postures.
I think that assumes that a hypothetical modern human tail would still be attached to the spine. A tail structure attached to the main body only through soft tissues could be flexible enough at the root to not be an issue.
- gus_massa 3y agoThe tail is just the end of the spine. I think it would be extremly difficult to evolve one that is not connected.
- underlipton 3y agoI imagine it would involve taking the one that is connected and evolving one that isn't (slow selection for a smaller connecting vertebra until it becomes vestigial). Floating bones aren't uncommon (you have one in your neck); the real wrench is that it's usually for entirely vestigial limbs, not vestigial portions of functional limbs. But I'm sure life could uh find a way.
- gus_massa 3y agoI think it would be hard because without breaking the spinal cord. Floating "side" bones are possible, but I don't know any case where the spine has been split. The spine is too central to early devdelopment to mess with it without causing chaos in later steps of development.