Abstract
An article entitled "Evolution and the Human Tail" by Dr. Fred D. Ledley appeared in the May 20, 1982, issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The publication of this article apparently served as the source of a whale of a tale, for newspaper articles based on Ledley's publication appeared all over the United States. One of these articles which came to our attention had a headline typically associated with this story: "Baby's Tail Lends Evolution Support." The article stated that "The birth of a child with a tail is a rare glimpse of 'the relation between human beings and their primitive ancestors,' a doctor says." Later on, Ledley is quoted as stating that "Even those familiar with evolution 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."