If Charles Darwin was alive, he’d be the most active 209-year-old Twitter follower Dorsa Amir. Dorsa, a devoted evolutionary anthropologist, regularly shares fascinating scientific content, and her latest posts are no exception. She revealed that “evolutionary leftovers” still exist in some of our bodies despite no longer having any present purpose, and the research quickly went viral.
“My interests and my research are all rooted in a deep curiosity about who we are as a species,” Dorsa told Bored Panda. “I think we are remarkable organisms for many reasons. One of the most interesting features of our story is that we are primates that evolved for millennia for a life of foraging, just living out in the wild, and incredibly in the last 10,000 years or so we’ve gone from that world to a world of supermarkets and spaceships. It’s stranger than science fiction. I’m tremendously lucky to have had the opportunity to turn this curiosity into a career, exploring who we are, where we came from, and how our rapidly changing environments and less-rapidly changing genes are functioning (or malfunctioning) in the present day. It’s the best job in the world.”
“For a trait to fully disappear, there usually needs to be active selection against it,” the scientist added. “That is, having that trait should be harmful enough that it negatively affects your ability to survive and reproduce. If it doesn’t, then it just kind of tags along for the ride longer than it’s useful. And it sometimes even learns new tricks. Given that there doesn’t appear to be active selection against these traits, I don’t think they’re going away any time soon. For example, whether or not you have this extra muscle in your arm doesn’t seem to affect how successful you will be at surviving or reproducing, so it’s kind of just… still there.”
With each of these tweets generating thousands of likes, people have even started inspecting themselves in an attempt to find these “reflections” of our former selves. And their children will probably be doing the same. “Natural selection is not a system geared toward perfect efficiency, and our technological and medical advances have weakened the force of selection quite a lot. So, for instance, lots of things that would have been death sentences in the past like influenza or Type I diabetes are manageable now and don’t necessarily reduce your ability to survive and have kids.”
The scientist strives towards helping everyone realize that evolution isn’t just “a chapter in their biology textbook or a fossil they saw at a museum.” According to her, it is a deep and fundamental part of who we all are, shaping us from the very beginning. Both our bodies and our minds. Continue scrolling to learn about its signatures and tell us what you think in the comments!
More info: Twitter
Image credits: DorsaAmir
Image credits: DorsaAmir
Image credits: DorsaAmir
People were eager to comment on these ‘leftovers’
I agree on the one about the third eyelid. One could call it an EYE-opening post. I’ll get my coat
The human body and its development are spect-ocular
Load More Replies...A tail might be handy. It could hold your beer while you were welding gas tanks or chainsawing the branch you're standing on or other cool stuff.
Or the tail could give you balance after drinking that beer and help you in the tree while you cut it down.
Load More Replies...the big toe actually plays the most important role in balance
Load More Replies...I think one of my science teachers told me that the third eyelid was used for underwater purposes. If we still used that, swimming would be so much easier.
Some people are actually born with tails, but most choose to get them removed. There is an X-files episode that covers someone with a removed tail. It's a weird (and not scientifically accurate at all) story, but still a cool episode.
Dont think they get a choice - they are removed soon after birth
Load More Replies...the appendix structure in birds & reptiles is used by their females to produce eggs
Remember creationists don't believe in this scientific nonsense, we didn't evolve silly, we were put here as is...about 6000 years ago.
I would argue with you but I have a feeling your too simple minded to understand
Load More Replies...Strange... But what will we look like in another 20,000 years? (Assuming we survive that long.)
Just a lump of meat with no legs and arms, because they are useless in the future. Everything is automated with self-driving transportations and robot butlers that feed us.
Load More Replies...Regarding the appendix: There's a popular modern theory that this contains a backup supply of necessary nutrients and enzymes for your intestines. When you get diarrhea, your system purges EVERYTHING, and the appendix is there to replenish instantly, like a fresh oil change. It used to be that people were always eating dodgy food, but with modern diets with high fiber and low contamination, the tool doesn't get its exercise, which causes appendicitis - an affliction significantly more common in developed countries.
Interesting!! I've wondered about the prevalence of appendicitis in developed countries!
Load More Replies...Interesting that humans have 2 lungs and 2 kidneys, but only 1 heart and 1 liver. Perhaps at some point in the future, humans will evolve to have 2 hearts like Dr. Who. Lol
I guess for the licer its because it can regenerate quite well compared to other organs. But yes, specially for the heart it would be very interesting.
Load More Replies...Some people I know should drop some serious sense of entitlement and grow a proper backbone. I myself could use some courage booster. Rooting for cultural evolution 😉
I pretty much have everything listed up. I even can move my ears a little back and for and listen better 😂😂 6 years back i jad problems with my feet (got very large and wide feet) what was quite a problem because i couldnt fit in a shoe without pain or ruining shoes. So i surgically corrected my feet with 15 (they were grown up so i could do that) and the foot surgeon said my feet would have been perfect in lives before our ages because i can climb and run with it very good. Im still good at that but atleast i dont have the pain in shoes anymore lol
i knew about the third eyelid because i asked what it was on cats and it showed up as being something humans used to have but no longer do
Also, the hypnic jerk. When you twitch while falling asleep or your body jerks awake when falling off a perch is an evolutionary leftover for sleeping in trees.
I have palmaris longus on my right hand, but not on the left hand. How? And can you imagine how much a cat would laugh it it would know that when we are scared we try to look big and buff by raising our puny hair?
I have palmaris longus muscle only in my left hand (I'm right-handed though)... what does it mean??
The penis foreskin is a vestigial organ as well. When we walked naked in prehistory, its purpose was to keep the glans covered and protected from tall grass, rocks and dust. Now that we walk with clothes, it has no purpose. Another reason for having foreskin in prehistory was to accumulate smegma (d**k cheese) as lube to be able to penetrate a woman quickly given all the threats around (enemy tribes, wild animals, etc.). Now that there are no threats, we don't need that smegma and therefore no need tor foreskin. I understand this is a controversial issue but... someone has to mention it.
i want my 3rd eyelid and tail.... could use a third hand sometimes.
I have the Pamaris Longus, my sister and older daughter don't and they both have trouble with carpal tunnel and I don't. I have done things for years that would have caused it with no problems, as have they, and yet they have the condition. I wonder if it has something to do with that? Anyone else notice that?
I have Palmaris Longus but have had carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. So, not sure about your theory, at least in my case it doesn't hold true. Sure wish you were right, though!! :)
Load More Replies...you should mention the vestigial legs which some python snakes have, to me that is the most obvious proof of evolution
Show me your other eyelid! OK just joking I have only the wrist thing
Load More Replies...Dont believe a single one of these. Humans never had tails. Or a third eyelid.
The f**k? No serious scientist would ever deny evolution...
Load More Replies...I agree on the one about the third eyelid. One could call it an EYE-opening post. I’ll get my coat
The human body and its development are spect-ocular
Load More Replies...A tail might be handy. It could hold your beer while you were welding gas tanks or chainsawing the branch you're standing on or other cool stuff.
Or the tail could give you balance after drinking that beer and help you in the tree while you cut it down.
Load More Replies...the big toe actually plays the most important role in balance
Load More Replies...I think one of my science teachers told me that the third eyelid was used for underwater purposes. If we still used that, swimming would be so much easier.
Some people are actually born with tails, but most choose to get them removed. There is an X-files episode that covers someone with a removed tail. It's a weird (and not scientifically accurate at all) story, but still a cool episode.
Dont think they get a choice - they are removed soon after birth
Load More Replies...the appendix structure in birds & reptiles is used by their females to produce eggs
Remember creationists don't believe in this scientific nonsense, we didn't evolve silly, we were put here as is...about 6000 years ago.
I would argue with you but I have a feeling your too simple minded to understand
Load More Replies...Strange... But what will we look like in another 20,000 years? (Assuming we survive that long.)
Just a lump of meat with no legs and arms, because they are useless in the future. Everything is automated with self-driving transportations and robot butlers that feed us.
Load More Replies...Regarding the appendix: There's a popular modern theory that this contains a backup supply of necessary nutrients and enzymes for your intestines. When you get diarrhea, your system purges EVERYTHING, and the appendix is there to replenish instantly, like a fresh oil change. It used to be that people were always eating dodgy food, but with modern diets with high fiber and low contamination, the tool doesn't get its exercise, which causes appendicitis - an affliction significantly more common in developed countries.
Interesting!! I've wondered about the prevalence of appendicitis in developed countries!
Load More Replies...Interesting that humans have 2 lungs and 2 kidneys, but only 1 heart and 1 liver. Perhaps at some point in the future, humans will evolve to have 2 hearts like Dr. Who. Lol
I guess for the licer its because it can regenerate quite well compared to other organs. But yes, specially for the heart it would be very interesting.
Load More Replies...Some people I know should drop some serious sense of entitlement and grow a proper backbone. I myself could use some courage booster. Rooting for cultural evolution 😉
I pretty much have everything listed up. I even can move my ears a little back and for and listen better 😂😂 6 years back i jad problems with my feet (got very large and wide feet) what was quite a problem because i couldnt fit in a shoe without pain or ruining shoes. So i surgically corrected my feet with 15 (they were grown up so i could do that) and the foot surgeon said my feet would have been perfect in lives before our ages because i can climb and run with it very good. Im still good at that but atleast i dont have the pain in shoes anymore lol
i knew about the third eyelid because i asked what it was on cats and it showed up as being something humans used to have but no longer do
Also, the hypnic jerk. When you twitch while falling asleep or your body jerks awake when falling off a perch is an evolutionary leftover for sleeping in trees.
I have palmaris longus on my right hand, but not on the left hand. How? And can you imagine how much a cat would laugh it it would know that when we are scared we try to look big and buff by raising our puny hair?
I have palmaris longus muscle only in my left hand (I'm right-handed though)... what does it mean??
The penis foreskin is a vestigial organ as well. When we walked naked in prehistory, its purpose was to keep the glans covered and protected from tall grass, rocks and dust. Now that we walk with clothes, it has no purpose. Another reason for having foreskin in prehistory was to accumulate smegma (d**k cheese) as lube to be able to penetrate a woman quickly given all the threats around (enemy tribes, wild animals, etc.). Now that there are no threats, we don't need that smegma and therefore no need tor foreskin. I understand this is a controversial issue but... someone has to mention it.
i want my 3rd eyelid and tail.... could use a third hand sometimes.
I have the Pamaris Longus, my sister and older daughter don't and they both have trouble with carpal tunnel and I don't. I have done things for years that would have caused it with no problems, as have they, and yet they have the condition. I wonder if it has something to do with that? Anyone else notice that?
I have Palmaris Longus but have had carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. So, not sure about your theory, at least in my case it doesn't hold true. Sure wish you were right, though!! :)
Load More Replies...you should mention the vestigial legs which some python snakes have, to me that is the most obvious proof of evolution
Show me your other eyelid! OK just joking I have only the wrist thing
Load More Replies...Dont believe a single one of these. Humans never had tails. Or a third eyelid.
The f**k? No serious scientist would ever deny evolution...
Load More Replies...
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