presumably the 5th toe will eventually
disappear in humans.
Another argument used to support
the gradual loss of the little toe is
the fact that in some people it has
degenerated to a tiny digit, sometimes
without a nail, or only its vestige. 2
Shapiro predicted that in the future
the little toe will continue to become
smaller and perhaps will exist simply
as a remnant of the digit in most
humans. Shapiro added this suggests
its total disappearance could occur in
the future. Toe loss “is a phenomenon
well-known in the evolution of a
number of common mammals, such
as the horse, cow, camel, pig, etc.” 6
Shapiro gave as a parallel example
the condition of male type baldness,
which is much more frequent among
what Shapiro calls the “highly civilized
races of mankind than among primitive
people”, as illustrated by the paucity of
bald-headed Indians, Polynesians, and
Melanesians. Assuming we evolved
from an ape, he predicted that virtually
all of the remaining body hair will also
eventually be lost from all humans.
These two examples, loss of the 5th
toe and body hair, are claimed to be
both the results of the disappearance
of traits caused by evolution.
The design of the 5th toe
The bone at the tip of the 5th toe is
the phalanx distalis (distal phalanx)
which is connected to the phalanx
medialis (medial or middle phalanx),
in turn connected to the phalanx
proximalis (proximal phalanx),
connected to the os metatarsale, or
metatarsal bone.This set is a very
important unit that helps with balance
and walking. The 5th toe is controlled
by the abductor digiti minimi muscle,
which serves for flexion and abduction
of the 5th toe. As a result of its
important role in posture and during
physical activity, the abductor digiti
minimi is often the target of injury. The
most common of this type of injury
occurs in women, possibly due to the
bone’s smaller size in females.
When its loss is predicted, it is not
clear if it’s suggested only the visible
part will be lost or if the entire set of
bones connected to the 5th toe noted
above will disappear. If the entire set
were lost, a major redesign of the foot
would be required. The muscle system,
and the bony structures of the 5th toe
are key components in balance. The
foot is a complex structure of 26 bones,
33 joints, layered with an intertwining
web of more than 120 muscles,
ligaments, and nerves that function as
a unit. A loss of any one part affects the
function of the entire system.
The blphalangeal (having two
phalanges) abnormality of the big toe
is significantly related to pathology. 7
These variations lend further support
to the importance of the 5th toe in
locomotion, further refuting the argu-
ment that it is a ‘vestigial organ’.
The lack of significant selection
pressures to drive any reduction in the
size or function of the 5th toe is another
concern. Perhaps social pressures
(‘neo-Lamarkian’) may play a part if
some isolated society ethos decided
that this appendage was no longer
fashionable. In view of the fact that
our world is increasingly connected
electronically and by airplane, this
possibility is very unlikely.
The case for
the 5th toe’s importance
While our toes do not help us to
grab trees, or anything else, they
are critical in helping us to stand,
walk, run, and play many sporting
and dancing activities (e.g. ballet or
football). Especially important are the
set of bones connecting our toes to our
ankle, namely the 26 bones that make
up the hindfoot, midfoot, and forefoot
(the toes being contained in the latter
structure). The big toe consists of two
large bones, while each of the rest of
our toes consists of only three very
small bones that function as a set. Loss
of any one of these bones adversely
impacts the effectiveness of the total
system. 8
Though all the bones in the foot
are assembled as a functional unit
forming the foot structure, the main
bones responsible for our balance
are the metatarsals. As explained by
Wenjay Sung, walking and standing
are supported by a tripod, consisting
of the big toe, the 5th toe and the heel,
and “If you remove one part of that
tripod, you lose balance.” 4 Thus, the
5th toe is part of the tripod, and its loss
will force significant compensation in
balance and walking, often by the 4th
toe taking up the slack. Functionally,
the two most important toes are the
big toe and the 5th toe, as they function
somewhat independently in contrast to
the middle three toes. This is especially
true in running. In Heinrich’s words,
“in order to achieve top speed, we literally run on our toes”. 9
