Baby with twelve toes and fingers

Jeshuah Fuller was born on Tuesday with polydactylism -- in this case, an extra finger on each hand and extra toe on each foot. An ultrasound had previously revealed the six fingered hands, but the twelve toes on his feet were a surprise. They will be surgically removed next week. The New York Daily News has the full story and an audio slideshow. From the article:

Jeshuah's father was born with a sixth finger on his left hand.

"I was like, wow, I gave him the finger," said the 29-year-old dad, who asked to remain anonymous...

While one in 2,000 babies is born with an extra finger or toe, it's much rarer to have extra digits on each appendage, said Dr. Robert Marion, director of genetics at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore.

Among African-Americans, one in 200 is born with a sixth finger or toe, he said. The condition - known as polydactyly or hexadactyly - is usually genetic...

The extra digits serve no function, Marion said. They usually occur outside of the pinky or little toe, lack bone and don't extend into the wrist or foot.

Link

David Pescovitz is Boing Boing's co-editor/managing partner. He's also a research director at Institute for the Future. On Instagram, he's @pesco.

More at Boing Boing

Eurovision 2013: An American in London

The technology that links taxonomy and Star Trek

Karl

In high school biology, my teacher told us (this isn’t verified, so don’t quote me) that 6 fingers/toes is actually the dominant gene, and 5 is recessive. It’s just that 99% of everyone has the recessive genes, so that’s generally what gets expressed.
Anonymous

My son was born with 6 fingers and toes on each hand and foot. His fingers didn’t have bones and were removed at 5 days old and he just recently had surgery on his toes. I realize this is strange, but after 5 years of them being there, I kind of miss them! And yes, it is a dominate gene.
Anonymous

Remember, parents that have children with extra fingers have them removed early on. After that, it is not a topic of discussion.
JTPednaud

The family of Foldi, part of the Hyabites tribe living in Arabia, all have 24 digits.

http://www.thehumanmarvels.com/2007/03/polydactyl-marvels.html
Anonymous

I’m just puzzled about the dads comment.

“I was like, wow, I gave him the finger,” said the 29-year-old dad, who asked to remain anonymous…
Anonymous

Gah! Why do parents always ruin cool traits with surgery?!?!

Some people are so damned afraid that their kids won’t “fit in” that they rob them of otherwise unique traits.

Personally, modifying our kids uselessly (such as this surgery, circumcision, etc.) is no different than giving your kid a tribal tattoo at age 1month.

Let the kids decide what they want to do with their bodies once they’re old enough!
- Anonymous
  
  I am a new mother , my son was just born with 6 fingers and 6 toes . His extra fingers one on each hand are actuslly thumbs that are complertly conected to his other thumb, my dear you do not know all the medical history and dangers that can come of keeping them! Believe me I love his 4 thumbs all of them but half to meet with a sergeon soon cause the joints will start colapsing if it is not surgicle fixed, and then he won’t have use of his hands! I would like you to take into concideration all of the factors before judging thanks<3
Anonymous

Anyone know what it’s called when someone is born with only 9 fingers?
bemi

i also had 6 fingers and 6 toes too but i did surgery to remove them when i was a little baby. But i have a bad middle finger on my right hand.
Daniel Morris

I seem to be seeing this type of thing more and more; what we could be seeing is evolution in action. If Jeshuah turns out to be a fantastic piano player and others wish to procreate, this is darwins theory confirmed absolutely.

Is 1 in 2000 right, I must know more than 2000 people and none of them have more than the standard ten.

12 toes and fingers… ewww.
Ryan

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Antonio Alfonseca has six fingers on each hand.

http://flickr.com/photos/stksave27/829455698/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Alfonseca
Anonymous

Hey! He killed my father!

(Geez, guys – 15 comments and nobody had made an Inigo Montoya reference. What are you — young, or something?)
Anonymous

Gattaca anyone? His parents are probably hardcore piano players. I knew that movie was an accurate representation of the future!!
Flying Squid

Why do the parents have to ruin it and cut them off? I wish I had 12 fingers and toes. It would be a great icebreaker at parties.
GeekThug

This baby is going to be an awesome programmer. He can count in HEX naturally.
Stefan Jones

How will we know who our superior mutant overlords are if doctors keep snipping off those extra digits?

All hail Jeshuah!
OM

…In my ~46 years of existence, I’ve never seen anyone with *extra* fingers or toes. I’ve know quite a few, however, that were missing at least one digit as the result of birth “defects” and not from accidents. The ironic part is that every single one I’ve met that was missing a finger was – you guessed it – missing the middle one.

Go figure.
Anonymous

i was boorn with 12 toes and fingers although my figers were removed due to lack of bone structure i still posses a perfect set of 12 toes.
thesalamiking

The condition – known as polydactyly or hexadactyly – is usually genetic…

?!?!?
As opposed to what? Radioactive spiders(that would actualy result in posible genetic damage, hence genetic cause)? Aliens probing the pregnant mother and adding fingers while in the womb? Cyborg invaders posing as humans?

Btw, Karl, my high school teacher told me the same thing. Polydactyly is a dominant trait.
a mosquito

That kid is digitally enhanced.
Stuart Ellis

Surprised no one’s mentioned the Schoolhouse Rocks song (which for some reason I can’t embed here)…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l2NP6K_iuk
sixtoe

Guess I’m one of the lucky few: 12 fingers and 12 toes. Here’s the kicker: I was also born on Christmas Day. SPOOOKY, huh?

Actually, the docs took off the fingers when I was a day or two old (there were no bones in them). But the toes remain intact–with bones. They’ve won me more than one free beer. Typical first question from curious onlookers: “Do you need special shoes?” Typical second question: “Do you have any extra…” (use your imagination).

My family believes this is a held-over genetic trait from an Amish ancestor–I apparently have a few Pennsylvania Dutch in my lineage. Remember reading somewhere that the founder of the Amish in America had 12 toes, and because the Amish live in such a tight-knit community, the trait is passed on quite often and rarely leaves the group. This phenomena is known as “Founder’s Theory.”
Stacyj

I’m with Flying Squid, I was jealous the moment I read the headline of this one – all of a sudden, a mere ten toes and ten fingers seems so sadly inadequate =P If I were one of those kids and ever found out my parents had deprived me of my lovely extra fingers, ooh would I be vexed …
Telecommuting Millionaire

I agree with Daniel Morris’ comments above. Evolution in action. Who’s to say that we won’t need those extra digits in the near future to offset something like the destruction of the world. Hmmm.
Anonymous

Sorry folks the trend evolutionarly is acuttly toward less fingers we started out as amphbians with 14 or 15 digits and have gradually lost these extra digits over time so it is not better to have six it is a sign that your parents are 1st cousins
Anonymous

An ultrasound had previously revealed the six fingered hands, but the twelve toes on his feet were a surprise. They will be surgically removed next week.

It seems a bit excessive to remove his feet!
mike3k

Six toes isn’t uncommon in cats. We have a so-called “Hemingway Cat” with 6 toes in my neighborhood.
Anonymous

I was born with six fingers on each hand which featured bones and fingernails and knuckles. They were removed at 6 weeks of age. My brother was born with 6 toeson both feet. we are of irish, english and scottish heritage-do you think I’m related to Anne Boelyn?
mysticat

My son was born with 2 “nubs”, on on each hand and a fully functional extra toe on his right foot. He is now 17 and although his nubs were removed, he still has the extra toe.
Anonymous

“Hello. My name is Indigo Montoya. You kiled my father. Prepare to die.”

Just watched Princess Bride again this week. Totally a classic. The best memorable quote in the movie is Indigo’s.
Anonymous

1 2 3 4 5, 6 7 8 9 10, 11 12!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinball_Number_Count