Our genetic code is full of scraps from all of the stages of evolution. That’s why every once in a while creatures get an abnormality that scientists call an atavism. So any creature – humans included – can sprout terrifying genetic mutations! Check out some of them below: 1. Humans with tails. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter genetic mutations Occasionally a human will be born with a tail. But actually, all human babies start life with a stubby little tail while they’re in the womb (it’s an evolutionary leftover from when we all had tails, according to scientists). Now scientists even think that our early ancestors might have been squirrel-like creatures with very long tails. 2. Dolphin legs. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter genetic mutations Whales and dolphins are still occasionally born with stubby little legs. Even normal whales have rudimentary leg bones crammed into their backsides! You can also see its freaky “hands” where you thought it just had flippers. That’s what their front limbs actually are – evolved hands (or paws, whatever). 3. Chickens with teeth. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter genetic mutations It’s hard to believe, but a humble chicken once towered over the fauna as a Tyrannosaurus rex. As a proof, in 2006, scientists working on chicken embryos managed to grow chickens with teeth. 4. Horses with toes. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter genetic mutations The horse’s hoof is actually one giant toe. There was a time in history when these animals evolved from a common multiple-toed ancestor, and the horse’s middle toe evolved into the big one (that we’re referring to as a hoof). But, once again, occasionally freak horses will be born with multiple toes. 5. People with reptile hearts. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter genetic mutations Once, a 59-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with mysterious symptoms that had medical professionals puzzled until they gave him an X-ray. Then they found that he had a full-blown case of snake heart – a reptilian heart with only three chambers, instead of the usual four. Studies of the organ found that it was a genuine genetic throwback. “In early stages of embryonic development, the human heart resembles that of a fish. In later stages of development, the human heart – now with fully separated atria and a partially separated ventricle – resembles a reptilian heart. To our knowledge, this is only the second reported case of an unusual morphologic variant involving a non-mammalian, reptile-like cardiac anatomy,” scientists said. 6. People with multiple sets of boobs. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 6 There have been people who were born with more than just two breasts. It is a throwback to an earlier human ancestor who, like other mammals, had several breasts each so that they could feed a whole bunch of offspring at the same time. If you’re wondering why Internet porn isn’t just packed full of four-breasted women, it’s because that accessory breasts are more common among men than
EmoticonEmoticon