From Male Nipples To Wisdom Teeth: Are These Body Parts Really Useless?

NDTV

03-08-2025

The human body has some organs that are considered "useless" due to their reduced functionality over time. Analysis of some of these vestigial structures has provided insight into human evolution.
Appendix: The appendix is a pouch-like structure that extends off the large intestine. Earlier, Charles Darwin proposed that the appendix might be a vestigial organ that once helped our herbivorous ancestors digest hearty plants.
Once thought to be useless, the appendix may still play a role in gut health by housing beneficial bacteria that aid in recovery after gastrointestinal diseases.
Wisdom Teeth: The Growth of wisdom teeth, third molars, causes excruciating pain in the gums, and it happens that we often think, What's the need for these teeth. As per a report by the National Library of Medicine, about 22 per cent of people worldwide, at least one out of four, have wisdom teeth that fail to grow in. Most of the time, they don't properly come out of the gums when they grow.
Some scientists have even blamed evolution for this, as they claim that jaws are getting smaller over time with human evolution. But a report by Discover mentioned that consuming hard-to-chew foods will help stimulate jaw growth. But if children eat more soft and processed foods, the jaw growth gets affected.
Male Nipples: Nipples are present in both males and females, but males don't need them for lactation. All embryos come from the same genetic blueprint, and they already have nipples when they start to differentiate into males and females during the initial weeks. Some believe that male nipples are useless, but they contain a dense supply of nerves that function as a major stimulatory organ.
Tonsils: These lymphoid tissues can be removed without significantly impacting the immune system, although they do help fight infections, acting as our first line of defence, they trap and fight off harmful pathogens like bacteria and viruses that enter our mouth.
Palmaris Longus Muscle: A muscle in the forearm that helps with wrist flexion, but about 10 per cent of people don't have it, and its absence doesn't affect grip strength.
As per a 2014 report published in the journal Medical Hypotheses, scientists stated that the muscle is stronger and more functionally relevant in tree-climbing primates as compared to land-bound primates, like humans.
Coccyx (Tailbone): A vestigial remnant of our ancestral tail, and considered useless. However, the coccyx is still an integral part of the pelvis and plays a role in supporting some muscles and ligaments.
Darwin's Point: Also known as Darwin's tubercle, Darwin's Point is a small fold of skin on the upper ear, possibly a remnant of a joint that allowed ears to swivel.
It is called 'Darwin's Point' because the idea was first published by Charles Darwin in The Descent of Man as a vestigial feature. He tried to use it as evidence of our common ancestry from primates that have a point on the apex of their ears.