Posted on 06/07/2019 8:27:06 AM PDT by Red Badger
Having an extra finger can enable people to execute movements with a single hand that would otherwise require two. Photo courtesy of HealthDay News
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Though rare, some children are born with an extra finger, a condition known as polydactyly.
Now, for the first time, a team of researchers set out to see whether having this extra appendage is somehow beneficial.
The answer is yes.
The bottom line: Having an additional finger significantly boosts a person's ability to manipulate objects, so much so that they can execute movements with a single hand that would otherwise require two.
For the study, investigators at the University of Freiburg in Germany, Imperial College London in England and the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland focused on two patients, each of whom had an additional finger between their thumb and forefinger, on an otherwise normal hand.
"We wanted to know if the subjects have motor skills that go beyond people with five fingers, and how the brain is able to control the additional degrees of freedom," explained study author Carsten Mehring, from the University of Freiburg.
The researchers conducted a series of brain scans and behavioral experiments designed to track how the two patients used their hands, and their brain activity while doing so.
In each case, the investigators found the extra finger had its own muscles, which enabled each person to move that finger separately from the other five fingers.
"Our subjects can use their extra fingers independently, similar to an additional thumb, either alone or together with the other five fingers, which makes manipulation extraordinarily versatile and skillful," Mehring said in a university news release.
But the bonus does not just derive from the placement of the physical finger alone, as the team tracked much of the additional movement capacity to parts of the brain that control motor skills, unearthing neural networks that were specifically dedicated to control the extra finger.
ccording to researcher Etienne Burdet, from Imperial College London, "In a nutshell, it is amazing that the brain has enough capacity to do it without sacrificing elsewhere. That's exactly what our subjects do."
The findings were published June 3 in the journal Nature Communications.
More information
There's more on polydactyly at the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
my gym has one!
its great!
thinking about getting one for the house!
Check your local thrift shops, goodwills and Salvation army stores. They usually have one very cheap..............
-PJ
I knew a guy who had lost the last two sections of his middle finger on his right hand.
When he shook hands with you, he would drive that nub into the middle of your palm. It was gross!
A man in Cuba is said to have 24 digits. I’ve got my doubts he’s authentic.
If Mae West were here she would say: “Is that appendicitis or are you just happy to see me?”
Six fingers on each hand and toes on his feet?..................
I’ve read that Ann Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII had six fingers.
Also of a village in Spain where everyone had six fingers and used a base 12 system for counting.
It’s not a rare thing..............
See Post 16...............
Binge watching Outer Limits and THRILLER now!
Yes, there are youtube videos of him, search “Cuban six fingers.”
The condition is rare and I’ve heard it is somewhat less rare in Cyprus.
The giant of Gath in the book of Samuel had 24.
Now you know all I know about it, if not more! :)
A useful one is not that common. Usually the finger is missing bones and muscles and is just a sort of floppy bit of skin.
It is interesting to see the supposed benefits of this being touted. My first thought was Goliath of Gath, assumed by some to have been one of the last surviving Nephilim.
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