Scientists in Australia have discovered several changes in humans which are appearing over a short period of time.
Dr Teghan Lucas, of Flinders University in Adelaide, said faces are also becoming shorter, due to changes in our diet, and our smaller jaws mean there is less room for teeth.
“This is happening in time as we have learnt to use fire and process foods more. A lot of people are just being born without wisdom teeth,” she said.
The research team also found an increasing prevalence of people being born with additional bones in their arms and legs as well as shorter faces, or with abnormal connections of two or more bones in their feet.
In addition, the investigation by Dr Lucas, along with University of Adelaide professors Maciej Henneberg and Jaliya Kumaratilake, showed a “significant increase” in the prevalence of the median artery since the late 19th century.
The artery forms while a baby is in the womb and is the main vessel that supplies blood to the forearm and hand, but it disappears during gestation and is replaced by the radial and ulnar arteries.
“Since the 18th century, anatomists have been studying the prevalence of this artery in adults and our study shows it’s clearly increasing,” Dr Lucas said.[…]
More: ‘Rapid evolution’ means humans now being born without wisdom teeth
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