Baby with tail 'reincarnation of Hindu god' (with picture)

Ananova ^ | 01/11/02 | ananova

[Arkle]

Crowds are flocking to Indian temples to see a Muslim baby with a 'tail' who is believed to be the reincarnation of a Hindu god.

The 11-month-old boy has been named Balaji or Bajrangbali, another name for monkey-faced Lord Hanuman.

He is reported to have a 4in 'tail' caused by genetic mutations during the development of the foetus.

Iqbal Qureshi, the child's maternal grandfather, is taking Balaji from temple to temple where people offer money to see the boy.

Mr Qureshi says the baby has nine spots on his body like Lord Hanuman and showed them to journalists, reports Indian newspaper The Tribune.

There have been other cases of babies born with tails. A report appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine in 1982 by Dr Fred Ledley.

His paper entitled 'Evolution and the Human Tail' concerned a baby born with a 2in growth on its back.

[stanz]

The human tail serves as an example of modern concepts of ontogeny and phylogeny and presents a striking clinical confrontation with the reality of evolution.

Even those who are familiar with the literature that defined our place in nature-from Darwin’s The Descent of Man to Wilson’s On Human Nature-are rarely confronted with the relation between human beings and their primitive ancestors on a daily basis. The caudal appendage brings this reality to the fore and makes it tangible and inescapable. Ledley (1982:1212, 1215)

Thanks for the legwork. This occurs rarely, but the retaining of a caudal appendage (in this case, I'm not sure if it is one judging on the position) is just another throwback to our ancient past.

[DoctorMichael]

Mis-transcription of a homeobox-Bump.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

LOL. OMGosh the first reply is not one anyone can follow on. Hoo boy, thanks

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Is that what it is?

[Orual]

Thanks for the legwork googlework!.

You're very welcome. It's such an interesting case.

[Arkle]

It seems a bit sick to us, but you have to remember that the family will be extremely poor. The money they get from letting people see this kid could keep them alive. As for the people paying to see him, many of them sincerely believe that he's the reincarnation of a god. It's not just idle curiosity.

[ValerieUSA]

So that makes the poor kid equal to a cow. The depravity of this false religion is so primitive that these people as a whole will never advance out of their poverty until they find God.

[oceanperch]

My guess.

[LADYAK]

Guess anything in India with an abnormality is a reincarnation of a Hindu God.....this child must have a reincarnation of his families Hindu God. The Hindu's have millions of God's one for each family. Another religion without any grace to it....if you don't do exactly has the family wishes or become Christian they feel that it will bring calamity upon the family. So sad for this child.

[Registered]

Is it me or does that 'tail' look like a really long finger? Although seemingly odd, this is not uncommon. It could also be a case of in utero canibalism, meaning that a woman originally conceived twins, yet one 'absorbs' the other, and shows remains from the other fetus. This case is a bit more uncommon.

To think this brilliance resides so close to me here in Michigan. I'm shaking. Really.

[Registered]

I want your take on this.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

IF the baby had a birthamrk with the shadow of "Mary", what would be the resulting response? Just asking.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

LOL

[dead]

This will really come in handy if he ever needs to live in a tree.

[AmishDude]

It could also be a case of in utero canibalism, meaning that a woman originally conceived twins, yet one 'absorbs' the other, and shows remains from the other fetus. This case is a bit more uncommon...

At what stage in the development would this happen? It would seem to have to be before actual organs began to be developed. In any case, I got the cold spinal chills just looking at the picture.

[COB1]

"I thought it looked like a finger as well..."

That's going to be interesting later if the boy decides to get a manicure.

[oceanperch]

Or Billy Graham?

[VOA]

"At birth some human babies have a short “tail-like” growth called a “caudal appendage;’
located near the inferior end of the spinal column.

One of my brother's college professors said he knew of such a case when he was in
the US Army. A recruit in his unit, from a very remote section of Appalachia (sp?)
had lived with it for all of his life...the US military doctors fixed him up by
surgical correction.
Weird, but true.

[dennisw]

I dunno sure looks like a midget to me!

[Cold Heat]

I am afraid I don't understand how someone could worship a birth defect. But then, there is a lot of things that I just don't understand.