Unveiling the Purpose Behind Wisdom Teeth and the Tailbone

Continuing from our previous article, we delve into more questions about body parts once considered 'useless':

A. Why do wisdom teeth grow if they often need to be removed?

B. Why does the human eye have a 'blind spot' that doesn't see?

C. What purpose does the coccyx serve at the base of the spine?

With Hashem's help, we'll explore each of these topics and reveal the wisdom they hold. First, it must be stated that even if we don't understand the function of a body part, it doesn't mean it is 'useless.' Rather, it is a subject worthy of further research. As our Sages said, "Not seeing is not proof" (Mishnah Eduyot 2, 2). We cannot draw conclusions from what is hidden from us, nor from lack of knowledge.

Evidence from our previous article shows us the problem: Doctors used to routinely remove tonsils from children, thinking them unnecessary until it was found they help combat disease. Researchers claimed most DNA was junk until its purposes started being discovered. Many thought the appendix was useless until it was seen to fight disease.

Past experience continually updates us that organs deemed 'unnecessary' were designed with great intelligence. Often, this design is hidden due to complexity or the intricate interplay with other organs. Thus, there are organs and muscles that seem useless alone but are beneficial within a system of others.

Therefore, even if we don't understand the use of certain organs or muscles, it does not mean they are "vestigial." Ignorance is not proof. It's a fact that tonsils and the appendix were once considered "vestigial" until their functions in the immune system were discovered. We should proceed with humility in scientific research and stay away from the arrogance of the ignorant.

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A. Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth (third molars) are called "wisdom" teeth because they appear in adulthood (usually emerging between the ages of 17-25). When these teeth cause pain, they are often removed. Studies show that in rare cases, wisdom teeth cause problems when erupting, so they aren't usually removed unless they cause significant pain.

[Source: Bergman, Jerry. "Are wisdom teeth (third molars) vestiges of human evolution?" TJ 12(3):297-304, December, 1998]

Why do wisdom teeth erupt?

There are two main theories regarding the necessity of these teeth and the reason they emerge later:

The first theory suggests that human jaws have shrunk over generations due to a diet of processed, softer foods. Evidence for this can be found in the verse: "And you will eat the plants of the field" (Genesis 3:19), indicating that early diets required more chewing. Wisdom teeth erupt during adolescence when the jaw is large enough to hold them. As societies evolved and diets softened, it's possible the jaw shrank, causing these teeth to sometimes be troublesome.

It's essential to clarify that "changing nature" is a known concept in Judaism for millennia. Genetic variances in height and skin tone occur all the time, part of the DNA's inherent mechanism.

In the Talmud (Shabbat 31b), Rabbi Hillel was asked why there are people with slanted eyes, replying that they lived in desert areas where the winds could harm them. He also explained that Africans' feet became wide because they lived in swampy areas. This means the Creator gave humans the ability to adapt to their environments. Such changes are minute and aren't considered new creation or innovation in the world.

Broadly conceived evolution claims the creation of new organs or the addition of new genetic information in DNA. However, jaw shrinkage is merely a small genetic variation and not a new organ or additional genetic information in DNA; therefore, it cannot be defined as evolution.

A second theory proposes the possibility that wisdom teeth were a backup for lost teeth. In underdeveloped nations, where oral hygiene and living conditions led to tooth loss, wisdom teeth that grow in adulthood can replace broken or decayed molars, erupting last as a "backup plan," similar to how baby teeth transition into adult teeth during childhood.

Evolutionists want to claim humans evolved from apes with larger jaws, yet aside from having no evidence for this theory (the "missing link" does not exist), they ignore the significant questions that arise from it.

The first question regarding the theory: Why would human jaws shrink (i.e., what survival benefit is there in a smaller human jaw?), and the second question comes directly from anatomy: Evolutionists argued that the jaw shrank and could no longer fit the teeth it had, yet the molars in humans are relatively small compared to those of apes. If mutations created smaller teeth in humans, there's no reason the jaw couldn't continue to accommodate them (the jaw shrank alongside the teeth). Therefore, the state of wisdom teeth cannot indicate an "ape ancestor" in any way, even according to their belief.

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B. The Blind Spot

The blind spot (Blind spot) is a small area in the eye lacking light receptors, limiting each eye's field of vision very slightly. Evolutionists often point to this as evidence of poor design, noting that octopuses, with eyes similar to humans, lack this spot.

But the truth is, there's a reason for the human blind spot's existence and not in the octopus. The human retina's connections protect it from ultraviolet rays in the air. The octopus's eye doesn't have a "blind spot" because it lives in water, which protects its eye from such radiation, allowing it to absorb all light rays without harm. However, if the octopus lived on land, it would quickly become blind due to excessive radiation in the air. The blind spot limits the radiation entering the human eye.

What is especially interesting is the planning the Creator devised to offset the blind spot's absence. Had no one told us there was a blind spot in the eye, we wouldn't know of its existence, as each of us receives a complete vision of reality, not a limited picture. But if there's a blind spot, how can this be?

Well, humans use two eyes at the front of their heads (this vision is called binocular vision), where the left eye captures space missed by the right eye (0.25% of the visual range), and vice versa, each eye complements the missing space of the opposing eye, and our brains expertly create a complete picture of reality, filling in the blind spot exactly without any blank space! This elaborate design demonstrates great planning, as naturally, we should suffer from the limited field of vision as land creatures, but the Creator designed the eyes and human brain to perfectly complete the blind spot so that a person doesn't even notice its existence.

This was featured in the article "On the Advantage Within the Disadvantage":

https://www.hidabroot.org/article/217958

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C. The Coccyx

The coccyx, located at the bottom of our spine, is mistakenly called the "tailbone," but it's far from being a tail. It lacks movable vertebrae and any muscles capable of movement. It was once claimed to be useless and a "vestigial organ."

Yet, the coccyx is crucial for anchoring muscles in the pelvic area, serving as a foundation for surrounding muscles. It contributes to upright walking, and without it, sitting becomes uncomfortable. Therefore, certain back pains stem from coccyx issues.

I once heard a creationist say they would personally fund surgery to remove the coccyx for any atheist claiming it's unnecessary: let's see them sit without a padded coccyx!

It's worth noting that no fossils of "ape-men" ("missing links") exist to suggest the coccyx was ever longer, so their belief rests on assumption alone.

It is surprising to see how evolutionists admit on one hand that the coccyx is essential to the human body, yet persistently claim that it indicates an ancient tail in humans without providing evidence. This is an attempt to have it both ways.

An organ cannot simultaneously function and be a "vestigial organ." If so, all organs would need to be "vestigial" (a bird's wing a "vestige" of a reptilian leg, a human hand a "vestige" of walking-on-fours, etc.). Thus, "vestigial organ" loses all meaning when seriously considered.

Today, the significant roles of the coccyx are well-known in science. Wikipedia states:

"The coccyx, also known by its popular name the "tailbone," is the lowest part of the human spine. It comprises about four vertebrae, the lower three of which have fused into one, articulated above with limited movement through a cartilaginous joint. The coccyx anchors several muscles, including the gluteus maximus and the coccygeal muscles. These last muscles play a role in defecation. The coccyx's side borders attach ligaments such as the sacrospinous and sacrotuberous and is enwrapped by gluteal muscles."

The coccyx's detailed planning, even in its slight design differences between males and birthing females, is quite interesting:

"The coccyx is less curved in women than in men since the coccyx is part of the lower pelvic outlet and the fetus must pass through it during birth. The anterior surface holds the anterior sacrococcygeal ligament and the levator ani muscle. It also supports parts of the rectum."

"Thus, we learn that this bone is less curved in women - for the baby's exit during birth," to ensure the newborn isn't harmed! In such details, even in the last piece of the spine, every aspect is calculated and precise. As Psalm 104:24 beautifully declares: "How great are your works, Hashem, you made them all with wisdom."