From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@yahoo.com)
Date: Sat Nov 02 2002 - 20:15:16 MST
--- spike66 <spike66@attbi.com> wrote:
> This Halloween reminded me of a costume I saw a
> few years ago where a pregnant woman (about 9 1/2
> months along by all appearances) wore a striped
> tight leotard with large suction cups over
> her breasts. She actually had 4 pairs of these,
> as a pregnant tiger might have. She showed up
> at work in this outfit. {8^D
>
> Question please, evolution wonks: since most
> mammals have multiple offspring and consequently
> have 4 pairs of nipples, are humans ever born with
> vestigial extra pairs of nipples? Does this
> phenomenon have a name? How common is it?
Vestigal third and fourth nipples are pretty common, as birth marks and
congenital defects go. Many men also may have denser patches of body
hair in locations where vestigal nipples would be located otherwise.
Along with webbed toes and fingers, vestigal tails, gills, fins and
other paraphernalia of the evolutionary past, more people have the
genes for them than are walking around with them due to a tendency of
doctors and parents to have them removed in infancy.
I myself have the regulation two nipples, though I did get more than my
fair share of jaw room, and so I have four large, healthy, and happy
wisdom teeth still in my skull which have avoided violent removal due
to their good behavior and excellent manners. So I'm a throwback in
that area, at least.
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