A new study published in the Journal of Anatomy has proven this Homo sapiens (It’s us) Not yet done with evolution. Research by researchers at the University of Adelaide has found that there is compelling evidence in our foreground that we are still developing, albeit on a small scale, the prevalence of a blood vessel known as the middle artery increased significantly in the late 19th century.
During the embryonic stage of our development, the central artery is the main vessel that carries blood forward and into the hand. In the past, the middle artery disappeared because the radial and ulnar arteries replace it while the baby is still developing in the womb, an unusual feature in adult hands, but researchers find that not only the middle artery has disappeared in some individuals. Going even further is that these people represent a constantly growing group.
Studies estimate that one in three of us retain this middle artery, a statistic that will continue for years to come, but the trend is expected to continue, as the middle artery becomes increasingly common as a permanent feature of the human foot. . When more than 50 percent of people are found to have “abnormalities”, it will stop becoming abnormal and become a new standard for human anatomy.
Researchers have called this change “microevolution”, while according to their estimates, modern humans are evolving at a rapid rate at any stage in the last 250 years, a change that is small. If we had a layer of skin between our hands and body that enabled us to fly, the flying-squirrel style (probably ‘a nice thing’), this would be exactly the most remarkable example of evolution, but we would Take what we can get.
“Since the 18th century, anatomists have been studying the prevalence of this artery in adults and our study shows that it is clearly increasing,” said study author Dr. Tehan Lucas said in a statement. Its prevalence was about 10% in people born in the mid-1880s compared to 30% in people born in the late 20th century, so it is a significant increase in a very short period of time when it comes to development.
“This increase could actually result in mutations in genes involved in the development of moderate arteries in mothers during pregnancy or maternal health problems or both. If this trend continues, by 2100 most people will have a forward artery. “
Exactly what are the benefits of maintaining this artery due to adaptation theory’s “fittest of the fittest” principle is not clear, but researchers believe it is a beneficial anatomy, as it increases the blood supply to the front and arms. It is hoped that it can also be used during surgery to replace damaged vessels in other parts of the body.
This arterial microevolution, according to the researchers, joins a handful of examples showing how the human anatomy is changing over time, including abnormal attachments of the legs, increasing absence of wisdom teeth, and increasing presence of small bones in the back. The knee joint is called a fabella.
“This is a microevolution in modern humans and the central artery is an excellent example of how we are still evolving because newborns have a higher proportion of this artery than people of previous generations,” said senior author Professor Kiz Heinberg.
