Human Tails
Human embryos have a tail that measures about one-sixth of the size of the embryo itself. As the embryo develops into a fetus, the tail is absorbed by the growing body. The developmental tail is thus a human vestigial structure. Infrequently, a child is born with a "soft tail", which contains no vertebrae, but only blood vessels, muscles, and nerves, although there have been several documented cases of tails containing cartilage or up to five vertebrae.
Humans have a "tail bone" (the coccyx) attached to the pelvis, formed of fused vertebrae, usually four, at the bottom of the vertebral column. It does not protrude externally.
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Famous quotes containing the words tails and/or human:
“I think mice
Are rather nice.
Their tails are long,
Their faces small,
They haven’t any
Chins at all.”
—Rose Fyleman (1877–1957)
“If you pick up some paint with your brush and make somebody’s nose with it, this is rather ridiculous when you think of it, theoretically or philosophically. It’s really absurd to make an image, like a human image, with paint, today.”
—Willem De Kooning (b. 1904)