Did Adam and Eve have tails? I explore those questions in the video linked below. This inquiry, seemingly bizarre at first glance, is the springboard I use to launch into a dialogue about the features of the first human beings through the interplay between genetics and morphology. I challenge the assertion made by figures like Ken Ham, who argue against the possibility of humans ever having tails, by questioning the scientific and scriptural foundations of such claims.
To do so I spend quite a bit of time with explaining some molecular genetics concepts and then explore the genetic basis of tail formation—or its absence—in humans and other primates. The research I draw upon is from a fascinating study published in “Nature,” which highlights a particular genetic mutation believed to be responsible for the absence of tails in great apes, including humans. This mutation, found in a developmental gene known as TBXT, suggests that at a genetic level, the blueprint for tail development exists in humans but is overridden by a specific alteration.
I use the findings in this paper to suggest that the absence of tails in humans and other apes is not a simple matter of evolutionary trimming but a complex genetic modification. This challenges simplistic narratives about human origins. It underscores the fact that at some point, our embryonic stages include the formation of a tail, which is later reabsorbed or modified due to genetic regulation.
The young-age creationist’ perspective, as represented by Ken Ham, underscores an assertion that humans were created in their current form, tailless, from the outset. In the video I challenge this assertion by highlighting the lack of explicit scriptural backing for such a claim and by pointing out the evidence of genetic mechanisms that could have allowed for tail development in humans. I do this not because I am convinced that humans once had tails as adults but rather to encourage a broader dialogue about the interpretation of creation narratives and the integration of scientific understanding with theological beliefs.
I hope you find my speculation and challenges to be thought-provoking.
Naturalis Historia 
Was this an April Fool joke? I know there’s debate among YECs about whether Adam and Eve had navals, but tails? They’ll go ape over that one, ha.
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I forgot I had that scheduled for April 1. I released the video a week ago. No, I am just suggesting that that YEC need to consider that hypothesis given their other views of genome degradation and the fact that some have suggested that all bird kinds originally had teeth since they have broken genes for making enamel and dentin.
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OK, but even in a mainstream outlook, wouldn’t tails have been suppressed genetically even before any hominids or humanoid apes appeared? At any rate, since many YECs can’t even seem to accept things like some dinosaurs having feathers, I’d be shocked if any YECs entertained the idea of Adam and Eve (or any humans) having tails. That said, I think suppressed or “turned off” genes for traits such as tails is a problem for them. After all, it’s one thing to argue that genomes of humans and other apes are similar because God used a similar “blue-print,” but to suggest he left in our chromosomes genes that have no purpose, or were only used in other animals, seems to have no plausible explanation in a YEC viewpoint. Of course, I think a similar problem exists when YECs claim that God not only created starlight en route to earth from millions of light years away, but even embedded in that light events that (according to YECs) never took place. Or to take another example, it’s one thing to suggest that God might make trees already with tree rings, but would be put in them fire wounds from non-existent fires, or in Adam, a scar where he was never hurt. At one point do they acknowledge that these things would imply a deceptive, misleading, or at least capricious God.
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Hi Joel,
Hope you are doing well and had a good Easter. I was going to comment on your longer linked article about Adam and Eve’s possible tails, but was disaopointed to find that the comments are closed. I’m curious why you seem to sometimes close comments relatively soon (sometimes after just a handful of replies). I for one often enjoy the comments, not just from entertaining YEC remarks, but also ones from mainstream people I learn from. Thanks, Glen
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That weird. I don’t think it should be closed. There are some old posts that are closed which happened when I upgraded the blog hosting and I haven’t looked to see how to get those back on. Thanks for commenting here.
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