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CoccyxThe coccyx, or tailbone, is the remnant of a lost tail. All mammals have a tail at one point in their development; in humans, it is present for a period of 4 weeks, during stages 14 to 22 of human embryogenesis.[5] This tail is most prominent in human embryos 31?35 days old.[6] The tailbone, located at the end of the spine, has lost its original function in assisting balance and mobility, though it still serves some secondary functions, such as being an attachment point for muscles, which explains why it has not degraded further.In rare cases congenital defect results in a short tail-like structure being present at birth. Twenty-three cases of human babies born with such a structure have been reported in the medical literature since 1884.[7][8] These structures are covered by skin and contain fatty and connective tissue, muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, but they do not contain cartilage or any bones and the spinal cord does not extend into them.[7]