How is it that we can develop whole people inside of our own bodies, but our bodies couldn’t make another finger if we lose it?
In: Biology
There is a strong evolutionary advantage to being able to create another human – after all, without it the species would die out. Strong enough to offset the complexity of highly specialized organs, and the many downsides associated with the reproductive system.
Losing a finger sucks, but for the most part doesn’t seriously affect your ability to reproduce. Someone that somehow mutated the freak ability to regrow a finger would not have a substantially greater liklihood of reproducing – thus those traits aren’t more likely to be passed on than the standard no-regrow genes. Furthermore, the specialized cells and structures required to rebuild a finger would likely come with at least some downsides.
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