FlipFact of the Day: Normally, a human baby is born with around 300 bones, most of which are cartilage. There’s a good reason for this: if babies had hard bones right from the get-go, giving birth would be even more difficult than it already is!
Over time and as the baby grows, a process called endochondral ossification takes place. Bone masses gradually replace cartilage, and bony segments eventually fuse together and harden. That’s why human adults only have 206 bones.
Read the longer, more comprehensive explanation here.
Today’s Science History Milestone: On August 20, 1858, Charles Darwin first published his theory of evolution in The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London.
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Cover: Daria Shevtsova
References
- https://www.scienceabc.com/humans/why-do-babies-have-more-bones-than-adults.html
Author: Mikael Angelo Francisco
Bitten by the science writing bug, Mikael has years of writing and editorial experience under his belt. As the editor-in-chief of FlipScience, Mikael has sworn to help make science more fun and interesting for geeky readers and casual audiences alike.
