ATAVISMS IN HOMO-SAPIENS - A BOLKIAN HETERODOXY REVISITED

An atavism is the ''..reappearance of a lost character (morphology or behaviour) typical of remote ancestors and not seen in the parents or recent ancestors of the organisms displaying the atavistic character'' (Hall, 1984). In humans, hypertrichosis (extensive body hair), the pr esence of a tail and supernumerary nipples are often quoted as example s (Hall, 1995). However, Louis Bolk (1866-1930) explained these phenom ena in another way. He considered human morphology as an unspecialized expression of the mammalian developmental pattern. The latter also en compasses potentialities for unilateral or propulsive development path ways (specializations) that usually remain latent in humans, but can b ecome expressed in other species. According to Bolk, the appearance of so-called atavisms in humans results from the occasional expression o f these latencies in Homo sapiens; they do not recapitulate ancestral conditions.