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6. Origin

The coccyx gained its nickname of the tailbone because of its probable evolutionary origin point. Every mammal possesses a tail at some point in their development, even humans. Human tails appear during fetal development for around four weeks and are most noticeable when the fetus is between 30 and 35 days old. Typically, the body absorbs this structure, with the coccyx remaining as the only evidence of its existence. Full absorption of the vestigial tail usually completes around the eighth week of fetal development.

origin tailbone pixelfit / Getty Images

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