A groundbreaking study published in Nature reveals that a single gene mutation 25 million years ago led to the loss of tails in humans and apes, including chimpanzees. The genetic parasite altered a gene crucial for tail development, affecting hominoid bipedalism.
Why no tail? 🐒➡️🚶♂️ A genetic mutation millions of years ago might hold the answer. Dive into our evolutionary past and uncover the secrets behind our ancestors' transition. #Evolution #Science #Genetics https://t.co/ILTFXFRlBI
Ever wonder why humans don’t have tails when most other primates do? Our 2021 story—based on a preprint then—revealed how mobile DNA could inhibit a critical gene necessary for tail development. Today, the research has been officially published. https://t.co/cpl8NWdwU5
A new study examines the mysterious genetic mechanism behind the loss of the human tail, which some think may have been key to hominoid bipedalism / @ruthschuster https://t.co/ZhbtmKEhC1
A new study suggests that apes, including chimpanzees and humans, lack tails because a genetic parasite altered a gene important for tail development when the group diverged from other primates around 25 million years ago. https://t.co/Oz0lkLxnTA
Thanks to a groundbreaking study published in Nature last week, we now know how humans lost our tails – a single mutation in a single gene, 25 million years ago / @ruthschuster https://t.co/ZhbtmKDJMt
Scientists think they can finally explain why humans don’t have tails https://t.co/r5irrlxUhV