i was thinking, i cant think of one single animal that doesnt have a tail. are humans the only creatures without one?
if so, why are they so important on animals, and unnecessary for humans?
2007-02-16 21:28:13 · 10 answers · asked by Erin P 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Democrats have tails.
2007-02-16 21:39:45 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
We do one thing that almost no other animal does - which is walk upright. With animals that walk on all fours, a tail is part of what helps them balance - even if it's only in a vestigal way. I believe the only animals that don't have tails are like us in one way - they're primates. Gorillas and chimps lack tails, if memory serves, and they don't *quite* walk upright, but it's close. Even we have the remains of a tail - the bottom-most bone of our spinal column is the coccyx.
2007-02-17 05:37:39 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lacking a tail is one of the defining characteristics of all the great apes:
chimpanzees
bonobos (a.k.a. pigmy chimps)
gorillas
orang utans
gibbons (including siamangs) (a.k.a. the "lesser apes")
... and yes, humans.
(Incidentally, this includes both the "great apes", everything but the gibbons, and the "lesser apes", the gibbons.)
There are also some tailless monkeys, including two species of tailless macaques, which are for that reason commonly named as apes (the Barbary ape, and the Sulawesi black ape), even though technically they are not apes, but monkeys.
Baboons, drills, and mandrills have a short tail, and are not classified as apes.
As for the purpose of tails, and their lack in humans, this short wiki page answers all those questions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail
2007-02-17 09:14:54 · answer #3 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
None of the greater apes have tails. Animals use them for balance, grasping, attracting a mate, etc.. If we had tails, it would be pretty uncomfortable sittin in this chair right now. lol
2007-02-17 05:55:06 · answer #4 · answered by jkp 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
humans still have tails... although it isn't visible.. but we still do... it is our Coccyx. but it is just a vestigial organ since humans have their own instincts and well we have feet and hands that can help us... dogs for instance uses their tail if they express something.. we don't need tails to express...
monkeys use them to hang
we have our hands to hold on to branches... so it is simply that way
2007-02-17 07:18:32 · answer #5 · answered by PcH 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
humans have tails..... for some reason females got rid of them
2007-02-17 05:47:57 · answer #6 · answered by P4BZ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I thought we had the remnants of a tail, which is our coccyx? (sorry for the spelling by the way!)
2007-02-17 05:36:01 · answer #7 · answered by toe_jam_on_toast 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chimpanzees and gorillas don't have tails, and I don't think that sloths have tails either.
2007-02-17 05:36:31 · answer #8 · answered by scatty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Insects don't have them
2007-02-17 05:32:28 · answer #9 · answered by Geo Man 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do bats..? idk. I'm sure there are more..
2007-02-17 05:36:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋