Farewell, third molars – five vestigial organs that humans no longer need

Four Wisdom TeethNew Scientist has a top-five run-down of vestigial organs that humans (arguably) no longer need.

(I imagine a number of readers will share in my vehement agreement that wisdom teeth (more properly known as third molars) are on the list … my unreasoning dislike of dentistry has been mentioned here before, and the consequences of an overcrowded jaw were a major contributing factor to that reaction.) [image by Lone Primate]

So, now we know which stuff we don’t need, how do we go about removing it from the human system? Permanently?

4 thoughts on “Farewell, third molars – five vestigial organs that humans no longer need”

  1. I only had to have my top wisdom teeth removed, the bottom ones didn’t even exist. The dentist told me we were evolving that way, but that seems rather Lamarckian. But if the new race of humans is coming, and all I get is no lower molars, I’m not gonna last long against the guy with death ray eyes.

  2. I have five molars, one was knocked out by a softball, (yes, I’m aware of the irony) but they all work fine.
    Folks, on a evolutionary front, we probably grow extra molars post adolescence ‘cuz our ancestors lost a lot of teeth, gnawing on those roots and berries along with the occasional hunk of meat,bone included.
    Not to mention a certain lack of dental hygiene.
    Without molars you starve.
    Slowly.

Comments are closed.