Although Charles Darwin's theory of evolution has long been accepted by the scientific community, many people still remain skeptical of the concept even today.
Perhaps one possible explanation is that our understanding of evolution is often filtered by heavy scientific jargon and seemingly abstract ideas. It may also be that like climate change, the concept of human evolution is hampered by opposing values.
In fact, a 2014 poll in the United States by research company Gallup revealed that 42 percent of Americans believe that humans were created in their current form within the last 10,000 years, meaning they believe that prehistoric humans did not change much.
But according to media site Vox, countless evidence from fossil records, genetics and comparative anatomy tell a different story. Fortunately, you need only look in the mirror and examine your body to find the much needed "footprints" for human evolution.
Vox uploaded a video on YouTube explaining there are vestigial structures in our body that are actually "evolution's leftovers."
This means that we have body parts that have outlived their original purpose but are still part of us. Additionally, these strange remnants of history could only make sense within the framework of natural selection, Vox said.
"Look closely and you'll see body parts that aren't there because you need them, but because your animal ancestors did," the Vox video said.
Palmaris Longus
Hold an arm out and touch your pinky to your thumb. Chances are, a raised tendon in your wrist will be visible. That tendon connects to the muscle called palmaris longus, which most of us possess. If you don't have it, however, you're one of the 10 to 15 percent of humans who were born without this feature.
So what is it for then? It actually doesn't have any discernible effect now, but surgeons often remove the palmaris longus and use it for reconstructive surgery procedures in other parts of the body.
Still, the palmaris longus can be found in mammals today. Scientists said it is developed in animals, such as monkeys and lemurs, that often use their forearms to move around.
Three Muscles In The Ear
So you take pride in having the power to "wiggle" your ear, but other people, for the life of them, cannot do it. Scientists said three of our muscle ears, namely auricularis anterior, auricularis superior and auricularis posterior, were useful for locating the sources of sound, but only nocturnal mammals actually use them. They're largely ineffective for humans, but cats, gazelles and rabbits still benefit from these three muscles.
What's fascinating, however, is that these three muscles actually respond to sound, albeit they don't respond as strongly anymore.
Goosebumps
Now this one's our favorite. Whenever you hear a person with a wonderful musical performance, say someone from The Voice, the body responds with goosebumps, right? It actually has something to do with mammals with fur coats. The same mechanism under these mammals' skin is still in ours. Mammals stand their hairs on end for insulation or for increasing their size to scare off predators. Humans, on the other hand, only get goosebumps.
Tailbone
Humans have a tailbone called coccyx that often consists of three to five bones fused together. The coccyx serves as an attachment site for ligaments, muscles and tendons, as well as an insertion point of some of the muscles of the pelvis. Some mammals today still develop their tailbone into full-blown tails. Interestingly, there are extremely rare chances that it develops into tails for humans.
Bonus: Babies' Special Grip
Without going into further detail, some newborn babies have the strong ability to grip onto whatever thing they hold on to, and there is an explanation for that. Check out the video below to find out.
