Tails might look like nature’s afterthought but for many animals, they’re multitasking power tools. Whether it’s balancing, fighting, flirting, or escaping predators, tails do way more than just wag.

Dogs use their tails to communicate. Eastimages/Moment via Getty Images Whether they belong to reptiles, insects, birds or mammals, tails serve a wide variety of purposes. Modern animals use their ...

WASHINGTON — Our very ancient animal ancestors had tails. Why don’t we? Somewhere around 20 million or 25 million years ago, when apes diverged from monkeys, our branch of the tree of life shed tails.

Q. My third-grader came up with these two questions: Which animals do not have tails? How many different ways do animals use tails? A. Most vertebrates, that is, animals with a backbone, have an ...

See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. A cat will often use its tail to convey emotions, swishing it from side ...

WASHINGTON – Our very ancient animal ancestors had tails. Why don't we? Somewhere around 20 million or 25 million years ago, when apes diverged from monkeys, our branch of the tree of life shed its ...

WASHINGTON — Our very ancient animal ancestors had tails. Why don’t we? Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. Somewhere around 20 million ...