'Sonic Hedgehog Gene' - Why You Have Thumbs And Not Fins

↓ More info and sources below ↓

Ever wonder why you have thumbs?

The human hand, with its multi-talented thumb, might be man's greatest tool. But did you know we can trace that thumb, and the hand and arm it's connected to, all the way back to a 375 million-year-old fish named Tiktaalik?

This week I sit down with paleontologist and geneticist Dr. Neil Shubin to learn what a fish, and a little blue hedgehog, can teach us about the evolution of thumbs.

Be sure to watch Neil Shubin's special 3-part series "Your Inner Fish" on your local PBS station, premiering Wednesday, April 9 at 10 PM Eastern!


Joe Hanson - Host and writer
Joe Nicolosi - Director
Amanda Fox - Producer, Spotzen IncKate Eads - Associate Producer
Katie Graham - Director of Photography
Andrew Matthews - Editor and motion graphics
John Knudsen - Gaffer

Music:
"Ouroboros" by Kevin MacLeod

Produced for PBS Digital Studios
-----------
Join us on Patreon!

Twitter

Instagram

Merch

Facebook

[Zennistrad]

This is pretty much the last channel I'd expect to have Sonic the Hedgehog on the thumbnail.

[kingofpigs]

You've updated the thumbnail to the recent cgi monstrosity.




Good job, I'm so proud

[chellavigneshs]

Sonic hedge hog is also involved in turning your teeth into different shapes say like incisors, premolars, molars. Two factors are necessary gene and external signals which activates the gene.! Your videos are nicely animated.!

[djhawk]

Okay, how many things in our bodies are named after pop culture? There's Casper's theory of decomposition, Sonic Hedgehog and its inhibitor, Robotnikin, Pikachurin

[xtremescy]

What about about our knuckles ? From Knuckles Echidna gene? Hahaha

[addisonmoontaisho]

Before, I had only done a tiny hit of research on Sonic Hedgehog (gene), so I thought only some people had it. To know now that I DO have a gene named after my favorite video game character ever makes me so happy!!! Thank you!!!

[MsAerosensa]

Can we just have a moment to appreciate the cuteness of Tiktaalik?

(I know it's animated)

[_.ln]

"Sonic the Hedgehog Is Why You Have Thumbs!" This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Sega Studios.

Sorry about that. ;/

[elisabethhuls]

O my goodness!!! Neil Shubin is one my my favorite authors and people in science. It was such a great surprise to find him on this awesome channel!!!

[PaladinLuke]

Lets see:
A DNA has been named after sonic
A Bacterica has been named after Spongebob
Whats next, a city named "Dexterlab"?

[SXR_YT]

Well you got me just because of the title.

[kingcoveryepic]

I saw the Sonic thing in the thumbnail and was got so confused when I saw that the video was made *6 YEARS AGO*

[rkraiem]

im a hardcore gamer and yet i cant take this thing seriously considering the fact that they named the gene sonic hedgehog! do they actually call it that in the scientific world???

[voctur]

My sister is attending med school, and when a she learned about the existence, and name of that protein she bursted out laughing in the middle of the class

[FreePalestine]

This is clearly  anti-nintendo propaganda.

[Aiden_Volgs]

Wow my ancestor is very CGI looking




Maybe I should get that gene replaced

[heliosphaeresonnen_wind_ki]

dr. shubins book is one of my all time favs!

[sdparsons]

This intro made my day, so many thumb connections loved it

[arielvillanueva]

You had me second guessing my sanity. Video says 8 years ago but has a character from a movie that I’m sure came out recently.

[ltericdavis]

At least someone in science got creative with the naming.