Rising Prevalence of Median Artery Signals Rapid Human Evolution in Modern Times

Rising Prevalence of Median Artery Signals Rapid Human Evolution in Modern Times

Think humans stopped evolving just because we swapped hunting mammoths for doomscrolling? Think again. A recent study published in the Journal of Anatomy has brought to light a fascinating change coursing – quite literally – through our veins: the median artery, a blood vessel that usually makes only a brief appearance during fetal development, is becoming more common in adults. Yes, Darwin would probably raise an eyebrow (or both) at this one. Welcome to the era of microevolution you can feel pulsing in your forearm.

The Median Artery: A Brief Guest Turned Permanent Resident

Here’s the biology crash course: the median artery forms in every human early during fetal development, shuttling blood right down to those rapidly-growing hands. Then, in a typical developmental glow-down after about 8 weeks, it fades away, handing off its duties to the radial and ulnar arteries – the usual suspects fueling your jazz hands as an adult.

Traditionally, only a rare few held onto this extra artery into adulthood, an anatomical wildcard discovered by the lucky (or unlucky) anatomist. But change is afoot—and a-arm. According to Dr. Teghan Lucas, co-author of the study from Flinders and Adelaide Universities in Australia, the numbers speak for themselves. Starting in the 1880s, only about 10% of people kept their median artery into adulthood. Flash forward to the late 20th century, and that figure had leaped to 30%. That’s not just a blip—that’s an evolutionary sprint by nature’s usual standards.

Modern Humans: Not Done Evolving Yet

The researchers weren’t just poking around in the dark. They combined all published anatomical studies with their own dissections of bodies donated to research in Adelaide. The results? Nearly a third of Australians now possess this extra vessel winding through the forearm. Professor Maciej Henneberg, another co-author, confirmed the trend, putting the median artery at the center of attention in modern anatomy.

If this pattern keeps up, Dr. Lucas predicts we could all be sporting this anatomical upgrade by 2100. Why? The reasons remain somewhat mysterious. The study notes possible causes like mutations in genes associated with artery development or even health issues experienced by mothers during pregnancy. Still, the scientists admit there’s much more to uncover.

So, why keep an extra artery anyway? The median artery brings perks:

• Boosted blood supply – More vessels, more blood, happier hands.
• Potential use in reconstructive surgery – Surgeons may find a handy spare in forearm operations elsewhere in the body.

But it’s not all sunshine and stronger pulses. There’s a possible downside: a higher risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, with the extra artery potentially crowding those busy wrist passages.

Microevolution in the Flesh—And Bone, And Teeth

Dr. Lucas emphasizes that the findings from their study—based on an analysis of 78 people who died between 2015 and 2016—are a clear indicator that humans are still evolving, and possibly faster than we did over the past 250 years. “Many people think the human species has stopped evolving, but our study shows that we’re still changing today: we call this microevolution in modern humans,” she explains.

And you’re not just evolving in your arteries! The researchers point out other rising anatomical variations through time. Take wisdom teeth (or rather, their absence): as our faces have grown shorter, there’s less room to squeeze in that third molar. Our mastery of fire and food processing means many people today are simply born without their wisdom teeth—a textbook case of anatomical variation.

This uncanny human adaptability is old news. In 2019, a study from Imperial College London spotlighted the fabella, a knee bone detected in just 7.6% of people in the early 20th century, versus over 31% today. The likely culprit? Our increase in height (and, let’s face it, probably those extra cheeseburgers), forcing our knees to carry heavier loads. As biological anthropologist Alain Froment observed, the skeleton often mirrors how we live: archers stood out with stouter elbows, while early horse-riders boasted distinctive femurs.

Arteries may not fossilize and tell stories through the ages like bones can, so don’t expect future scientists to deduce our screen time by the size of a forgotten vein. Yet, as Dr. Lucas puts it, should the median artery reach 50% prevalence in the population, we’ll no longer call it a “variation”—it’ll just be standard-issue human plumbing.

Living Anatomy: The Evolution Continues

In the end, the story of the median artery is a lesson in how evolution isn’t a thing of the past. The human body is still very much a work in progress—fine-tuned by subtle changes that may one day become as ordinary as a heartbeat. So next time you flex your wrist or bemoan your lost wisdom teeth, remember: you and your arteries are riding the latest wave of evolution. Who needs science fiction when you’ve got microevolution pulsing through your veins?