This fascinating 10-minute video is a concise overview of how poorly “designed” our bodies really are. We have numerous “vestigial organs” — parts of our anatomy that are now obsolete or don’t function very well.
While our evolution has given us many remarkable advantages, through “natural selection”, this list of defects makes a mockery of the Creationist argument for “Intelligent Design”. This video is part 2/2, Episode 9, of a 24-part series from “Discovering Religion” — a website that looks critically at many of the ideas espoused by various religions.
- The eye: There’s an evolutionary “blind spot” in the retina, with no retinal receptors at the “optic disc”.
- The Laryngeal Nerve: during evolution the nerve takes a long and indirect route from the brain to the larynx.
- Appendix and wisdom teeth: both from our early ancestors who were herbivores.
- The nose: 75% of our “Offactory” genes (sense of smell) are non-functional.
- Plantaris muscle: in the human foot, used for gripping as with other primates.
- The “embryonic tail”: which starts to recede after 8 weeks. Only the Coccyx remains.
- Knees: not really built for kneeling
- The elbows: no protection for the Ulner nerve.
- The skull: poor protection for our large brain. Adapted with the ability to compress during birth.
- Ear wiggling muscles: Three muscles in the ear that we no longer use.
- Sparse body hairy: further evidence of our evolution from early primates.
- Goosebumps: the Arrector Pili muscle at the base of hair follicles; caused hair to stand on end
(as with animals in the wild, and with domestic dogs and cats). - The Male nipple:
- Circumcision: Why do some religions mutilate children this way, if Man is made in “God’s perfect’ image”?