Humans’ closest primate relatives lost their tails about 25 million years ago, but exactly how has remained a mystery. A breakthrough in genetic research may finally offer answers.

De Agostini via Getty Images Looking at DNA samples of people, apes without tails, and monkeys, the scientists discovered that the latter is missing a piece of genetic code shared by the former two.

When apes diverged from monkeys, our branch of the tree of life shed tails. Scientists have identified at least one key genetic mutation that led to the change.

Tails are useful for balance, propulsion, communication and defense against biting insects. However, humans and our closest primate relatives — the great apes — said farewell to tails about 25 ...

A new study suggests that apes, including chimpanzees and humans, lack tails because a genetic parasite altered a gene important for tail development when the group diverged from other primates ...

Apes and early humans may have benefitted from losing their tails as it helped them transition to two-legged walking, an evolutionary development that coincided with being tail-free, the ...

The mutation that led to tail loss, according to the researchers, occurred roughly 25 million years ago, when the first apes evolved from monkey ancestors.

However, humans and our closest primate relatives — the great apes — said farewell to tails about 25 million years ago, when the group split from Old World monkeys.

However, humans and our closest primate relatives — the great apes — said farewell to tails about 25 million years ago, when the group split from Old World monkeys.

Why Don’t Humans Have Tails? An Old Genetic Mutation Could Explain Why Monkeys, but Not Apes, Have the Extra Appendage Scientists have pinpointed a genetic change that might have led the ...