agreed, except the last part–
most forms of polydactyly are dominant. some are recessive. also, I’d imagine that (like many phenotypic characters) while there is one gene that has a great deal of control over the number of digits one has, probably there are other genes with varying levels of influence over the trait as well.
We’re all anxiously awaiting news of the birth!
Another vote for leaving it if it develops, losing it if not.
[QUOTE=Rilchiam]
[hijack]Actually, everyone can, and with an added benefit as well.
Make your hands into fists and hold them out in front of and away from you. In other words, you should be looking at the backs of your hands, with your knuckles on top. Now count along the hills and valleys, so to speak, of your knuckles, starting at the far left. The knuckles are the months with 31 days, and the gaps between are those with 30 or less.[/hijack]
[/QUOTE]
Um. I count fourteen months, and I don’t think I’m polydactyl. 
[QUOTE=AskNott]
Guitar Player magazine once had a picture on the cover of bluesman Hound Dog Taylor’s six-fingered hand. I suppose he could play things nobody else could play. Polydactylity could well be a gift, not a defect. Not many people can tick off January through December on their fingers without starting over at November.
[/QUOTE]
If he could play things other people couldn’t, the phonographic evidence is missing. He played a very rudimentary form of Chicago electric blues, often with a slide. There are probably players with four fingers who could cop his licks. He also attempted to remove one of the extra fingers with a penknife while drunk.
I would definitely have it removed.
[QUOTE=Fretful Porpentine]
Um. I count fourteen months, and I don’t think I’m polydactyl.
[/QUOTE]
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, Smarch, Septembuary. 
(It still works with the last two knuckles being null.)
[QUOTE=11811]
If he could play things other people couldn’t, the phonographic evidence is missing. He played a very rudimentary form of Chicago electric blues, often with a slide. There are probably players with four fingers who could cop his licks. He also attempted to remove one of the extra fingers with a penknife while drunk.
[/QUOTE]
I guess “rudimentary” is in the ear of the beholder, But Hound Dog Taylor was plenty apt in his playing: moved right along with a great band, excellent slide work. But, to dispel ignorance, the extra finger had nothing to do with it. I couldn’t find an internet photo, but am looking at the photo on his last album now. Taylor was a long and lean man, with exquisitely long-fingered hands that facilitated his playing, but that didn’t include his extra finger. That was a tiny “dewclaw” appendage curled around the base of his pinky, pretty useless.
Now that that’s clear: fifty-six, Here’s to a healthy, happy son for you, and y’all will make the right decision when the time comes.
Polydactylism runs in my family. I have the nub of a sixth finger on my left pinkie. It kinda looks like a little clitoris (but without the hood.)
A bit of historical trivia: Anne Boleyn was said to have had a sixth finger.
Um, this OP was from February.
[QUOTE=Booker57]
Custom made gloves.
[/QUOTE]
Mittens would be sufficient. Plus if the finger is relatively normal why remove it? Is this the superstitious middle ages or the 21st century?
Let it be a lesson in acceptance for the child and its peers. Let the child choose whether to remove the digit.
Shit, Deadly Accurate, you live up to your name.
I didn’t register the time frame at all, just didn’t figger that was at all the case :smack:
So, guess it is up to friend Really All That Bright : Whassup with the Dredge? Honestly, why bring up this Old thread?
Dropped a Not there, which is probably indicative of this whole fole-der-role.
So the baby must be eight months old by now…
fifty-six, you still around? Any updates?
Where’s that zombie bat, I know it’s around here somewhere, someone’s looking for a beatin.
Okay, it was probably my fault, I linked to this thread in another thread.
BTW here’s the followup thread.
The thing that keeps coming to mind is that you are in Alaska… can you imagine the hassle of finding a regular supplier of custom made gloves???
(ooops. Missed the second page… please forgive me…)
[QUOTE=Ty Cobb]
My sister’s niece has a double big toe (two bones side by side in one wide toe) and they just left it alone. I think they should have fixed it at birth but they couldn’t bear the thought. The kid is now entering school and will have to take her shoes of for various activities. I think they should do it now rather than after the others make fun of her.
[/QUOTE]
Thing is, though, that even they’d “fixed” the extra digit, the kids would likely find something else to make fun of. Kids are cruel - I have yet to meet a kid who hasn’t been teased for SOMETHING in their life. I got teased because of my name (Natasha), and because I didn’t like to wear socks. My sister was teased because she had red hair. My father was teased because he had an ear infection one year. A friend of mine’s daughter gets teased because her uncle is physically handicapped - and most of the kids have never even seen her uncle. Kids will tease anyone, for anything. It happens, and removing a bone in her toe wouldn’t keep her from getting teased. Better she gets it over with now and learns how to deal with it, I think.
I’m going to cast my vote for “leave it alone unless it’s a hindrance.” Cuz seriously, I wish I had several more fingers than I do, often.
Keep it. How cool is that?
Though technically a zombie, I’ll leave this open in case the OP finds it. I’m curious too.
[QUOTE=Frank]
Though technically a zombie, I’ll leave this open in case the OP finds it. I’m curious too.
[/QUOTE]
I’d like again to, refer everyone to the follow up thread.