Hey, where's my tail?

Gardenlover said:
It raises a question for me: If a tail provided advantages, what evolutionary process would make losing it beneficial rather than harmful? What problem did losing the tail solve, or what tradeoff made it worth giving up?
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Hard to know all the reasons, but some of our ancestors didn't grow tails due to mutations. Many monkeys still have them, so I think the ones without tails probably found that it was easier to get around on the ground without the hindrance of a tail, and probably due to tall grasses, they needed to spend more time upright. Maybe food offerings on the ground played a role as well. IDK. I guess it's kinda like birds. Most have tails, but penguins don't.

I am forever amazed at the variations in animals. Condors can soar for hours, but hummingbirds can fly backwards, and woodpeckers can hammer holes in wood. Each mutation found something beneficial and went a different direction.
 

Paco Dennis said:
Here is Uncle Remix' explanation :

The Genetic "Glitch"​

In 2024, researchers identified a specific genetic change in the TBXT gene that is unique to humans and great apes. Unlike many mutations that involve a change in the DNA sequence itself, this was an insertion of a "jumping gene" (specifically an Alu element) into a non-coding region of the gene.

This insertion causes a "mismatch" during protein production, resulting in a shortened version of the protein that prevents the tail from developing fully.
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The Core Story (Rabbit version in Uncle Remus):
  1. Bragging: The Rabbit had a long, beautiful tail, but he boasted about it constantly.
  2. The Trick: The Fox, tired of the bragging, told the Rabbit he could catch fish by sticking his tail in a hole in the ice.
  3. The Trap: The Rabbit sat there for a long time, but the Fox tricked him into staying until his tail froze into the ice.
  4. The Loss: When the Rabbit finally pulled, his tail snapped off, leaving a stubby one, which is why rabbits today have short tails. --Gemini
 
gruntlabor said:
The Core Story (Rabbit version in Uncle Remus):
  1. Bragging: The Rabbit had a long, beautiful tail, but he boasted about it constantly.
  2. The Trick: The Fox, tired of the bragging, told the Rabbit he could catch fish by sticking his tail in a hole in the ice.
  3. The Trap: The Rabbit sat there for a long time, but the Fox tricked him into staying until his tail froze into the ice.
  4. The Loss: When the Rabbit finally pulled, his tail snapped off, leaving a stubby one, which is why rabbits today have short tails. --Gemini
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A whale of a tale of a tail, but nevertheless, a good lesson on avoiding ice-holes.
 

-Oy- said:
A tail would be pretty cool. I'd like my tail thanks :)
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We humans don't have tails, but some of us do have big bottoms which we try to squeeze into shorts. Can you imagine if humans had tails? The camera in the changing cubicles would record some hilarious acts of trying on new pants. Clothes would need a front and back zipper. and what about the loo? Toilets and public carriage seats would be a debacle.
 
horseless carriage said:
We humans don't have tails, but some of us do have big bottoms which we try to squeeze into shorts. Can you imagine if humans had tails? The camera in the changing cubicles would record some hilarious acts of trying on new pants. Clothes would need a front and back zipper. and what about the loo? Toilets and public carriage seats would be a debacle.
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Ha ha ..... Maybe we would just adopt the cat posture at the loo.
 
gruntlabor said:
But long before that, something amoeba-like from the sea?
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Well, not exactly. I don't know all the stages, but if I remember right, fish with lobe-like appendages were able to move about in very shallow water and breathe air with air sacs that developed in lungs. Even some creatures of the sea like whales and dolphins are mammals and have lungs.
 
bobcat said:
Well, not exactly. I don't know all the stages, but if I remember right, fish with lobe-like appendages were able to move about in very shallow water and breathe air with air sacs that developed in lungs. Even some creatures of the sea like whales and dolphins are mammals and have lungs.
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Whoa, Bobcat, you're older than I thought.
 
Most cats are sentimental critters......

Side step: Have you ever seen a picture of a human born with a tail? I've seen pictures. Probably a good thing they're removed. I remember being in 7th grade gym. It was bad enough what happened with a towel, can you imagine what could happen if we had tails. 🤯
 

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