25 Fingers and Toes- Evolution in Process?

While some might say that this child is a freak, I wonder if it is at all possible that he is the future of the human race. With all the things we do with our hands, an extra finger might come in handy.

Indian Boy Has 25 Fingers, Toes

Devender Harne, 10, was born with 25 fingers and toes -- six fingers on each hand, six toes on one foot and seven on the other.

video link
(hope that works)

cool...like that "six finger guy" commercial..but REAL!!

With the advent of leasure time due to emerging technology humans will need more fingers to pick their nose with Seriously though due the extra digits function or are they inanimate appendages found in other species?

Originally posted by worldwatcher
While some might say that this child is a freak, I wonder if it is at all possible that he is the future of the human race. With all the things we do with our hands, an extra finger might come in handy.

Indian Boy Has 25 Fingers, Toes

Devender Harne, 10, was born with 25 fingers and toes -- six fingers on each hand, six toes on one foot and seven on the other.

video link
(hope that works)

cool...like that "six finger guy" commercial..but REAL!!

I'd figure we'd start loosing useless appendages like our pinky toe, it's cant move on its own, mine is really gross like its twisted to the side on both feet, it's just there to balance out the other pinky toe.

Ever meet someone missing at toe or like the top of their big toe? Their balance sucks.

If anything I could use more thumbs.

ps: I don't feel its evolution, just a deformity.

[edit on 1-10-2005 by Lysergic]

from watching the video of the kid, it looks like his extra fingers are usefull and not just extra appendages that do nothing. They actually look quite natural on him.

maybe the extra toes we'll need in the future because we humans might have to do more walking and climbing?

Now this kid just has to mate with another person with extra fingers. Then they can have babies with extra fingers.

I don't think this is our future (having extra fingers). The people with extra fingers would have to have a huge advantage on the rest of us where 5 finger people could not survive.

It's a game of survival of the fittest and I don't think the extra finger will help us that much. However this is something that may give us incite into how mutations can change a species.

A person with three fingers can function just as well. As a person with five fingers. In most activities.

Though I could see a slight evolutionary advantage if you play the piano, type, guitar, etc.

The extra toes though. Have no purpose and are a vestigial organ. (unless they play music with their toes?)

Extra arms, 360º vision, and a trilateral brain perhaps would be useful too.

The doctor's report is also normal," says Uma Harne, the mother. Unlike other instances where the extra physical feature is not fully-grown or is of no use, Devender's toes and fingers are active and normal in size...

Interesting story indeed, doesn't sound like the usual case of polydactylism.

AS I clicked for the video, I got this:

"Thank you for visiting NBC6.net FeedRoom. You have been redirected to this page for the following reason(s):
NBC6.net FeedRoom is not yet optimized for your
operating system and/or browser.
Click here for more information.
You may still enter the site, but you may not have our intended NBC6.net FeedRoom experience."

Man, I hate that.

[edit on 3/10/2005 by FallenOne]

Really, I got something about a Mexican guy saving horses from a burning stable. no 25 digits kid story

interesting find though, thanks for sharing!

--Kit.

Originally posted by msnevil

The extra toes though. Have no purpose and are a vestigial organ. (unless they play music with their toes?)

www.findarticles.com...

All About Toes and why they are useful =)

This is actually a not uncommon mutation of human DNA. It happens all over the world and the extra digits are generally removed at a young age to avoid any social stigma. I personally know three people in various parts of the world who were born with extra digits both on their hands and feet. There may be environmental factors involved as well but no serious studies, that I know of, have ever been done on this topic.

Evolution does involve genetic mutation, but only when it is adaptive and contributes to genetic survival. I fail to see how having an extra finger or toe falls into that category.

The digits on your feet are mostly useless. You only really need the big one, and the rest are semi-vestigial from when we used our feet like a second set of hands. On the hands, however, extra digits are very useful, whether playing piano or just holding things better. If we didn't always remove them, or find them so hideous, I bet they'd be dominant in our genetics.

Its gotta be a mutation because almost all humans have 5 fingers on each hand and 5 toes on each foot. If it was evoloution then it would happen slowly, as in 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes on each foot. Not an extra 20!

reply to post by Terapin


Whew, finally found tons of stuff on polydactylism. I have heard the next Dhali Lama has the extra hand digits at least and I personally know of at least four other people in the same family that had this little add on and of course had them snipped at birth. People seem to be discussing the benefit of an extra couple of fingers but I'm thinking since the opposable thumb puts us so far ahead as a primate species, why shouldn't the new trait be the early evolution of a second opposable thumb on each hand? Isn't the introduction of new traits slowly over time the way they are evolved into a species anyways?

It does definitely make you wonder, that the reaccurence of this is mutation or evolution? A lot of odd mutations seem to happen in India and I wonder if it is some kind of pollutant in the water or food they it that cause the likelihood of this happening. Or something in they use day to day? Or when the woman are pregnant, do they do particular rituals and in those rituals is it something actually toxic to the growing fetus?

reply to post by worldwatcher


I don't believe it is evolution, probably something icky in the water.

Mutations happen. Sometimes they actually work, many times they fail and we never see them again.

Supposedly the pinky is supposed to dissappear, but I wonder if the invention of the keyboard is changing that. *grins*

reply to post by Lysergic


Evolution IS deformity, man!
Useful deformity, actually.

reply to post by Lysergic

appendages like our pinky toe, it's cant move on its own,

:O

I have a hidden talent!
I can move mine - both of them - on their own!
Weeeee!

Anyway, I would think with all the people using computers these days, and a bunch of them being two-fingered-typers we'd start dropping some digits!

25 fingers and toes, how cool is that.

peace