Morton's Toes (second toe longer than the first)

Nawd

Dagobah Resident
Has anyone heard of this? It is the 'condition,' likely genetic, that brings on that the second toe is longer than the first 'big toe'. It's never given me problems, but there are several weird theories and wives tales.

I'm wondering if there is any real scientific basis on why exactly this would happen? Some articles say it is a lack of B6 during pregnancy. Who knows. It tends to give some people some really serious problems with their knees, legs and back. Many (of what I've researched) have said that one must order special shoes if they are having problems.

I spend most of my time barefoot, and have most of my life. Even at my work, I kick off my shoes as soon as I'm at my desk. Perhaps that helped not make me in constant pain like some people claim.

But what I am wondering is some of these speculations say that it comes 'from monkeys' that needed to grip trees and we (the people who have longer second and or third toes) are basically un-evolved monkeys. :lol:

Just wondering if anyone has those sort of feet, or if it's extremely common.

My research was mostly just useless idiotic silliness. Maybe you all have heard of it. I did a search here on the forums and came up empty.
 
Well, I have a longer second toe and have not experienced any of the problems you mentioned but I do exercise regularly and enjoy jogging and walking.

I had an oriental girlfriend tell me it was a sign I would have a lot of money. Well, that hasn't happened ... yet.

Funny, I never thought to check other members of our family to see who has the same big second toe. Too late to check now.
 
I read somewhere that Neanderthal fossil feet had the big toe shorter than the second toe and Cro-Magnon fossil feet had the big toe longer than the second toe.

I did a quick web search and found this:

The Human Career, 2nd ed., by Richard Klein, p. 388 sez: "The
mediolaterally expanded shafts of the pedal phalanges were
possibly an adaptation for prolonged movement over irregular
terrain."

Have a look at this, too: http://www.archaeology.co.uk/british-features/footloose-in-archaeology.htm
 
Harold said:
I have that.... :huh:

Yep, me too. Something very similar to this picture (even if a bit shorter), including the slightly twisted pinky toe.

mortonstoe-300.jpg


When I was a child my mother was told to do some corrective surgery to this toe to make it straight, but since I never felt any discomfort, it just stayed this way. Oh, and I always joked about my toes being monkey toes due to their length (and did like to climb trees when was a kid). Now what does it all mean then....hmmm. :huh: Add to this low (though not sloping) forehead, and I wonder if it means that I have Neanderthal genetics blended in :shock:, or maybe it just means that I am Jewish, which, as evident, under some circumstances is the same. :/

Guess, it comes down to a choice and doing what you can with what you've got. Besides, maybe it's the same with other genetic properties that can either remain dormant or get activated under certain circumstances. Depends on which wolf you feed and all that. So I think it is just one factor to consider.

Also found the following article. Don't know if it's for real, but it would fit with longer second toe being an indication of Neanderthal genetics.
 
Harold said:
I have that.... :huh:

Me too, my mother had it and one of my sisters too, as does a friend of mine, the common theme among us is we all have long slender feet and are tall, except my mother although she had a large shoe size for her height.

I never thought much about it after I noticed it in my youth, it never bothers me except for certain shoe styles.
 
Keit said:
Also found the following article. Don't know if it's for real, but it would fit with longer second toe being an indication of Neanderthal genetics.

My goodness, that is a disturbing website. So basically if you have a longer second toe, you are more likely to be a criminal or a nutcase and if this website is for real, they want to kill babies who have this 'abnormality' quickly and 'humanly' to save tax dollars on the criminals they think they will become.

The only 'benefit' I've had is I can pick things up with my toes and was a heck of a good tree climber as a kid :D

Edited for more details about the website linked above.
 
Dawn said:
My goodness, that is a disturbing website. So basically if you have a longer second toe, you are more likely to be a criminal or a nutcase and if this website is for real, they want to kill babies who have this 'abnormality' quickly and 'humanly' to save tax dollars on the criminals they think they will become.

You know, I did a further search for the author of the "study" or mention of "Forensic Infant Studies Laboratory at Des Moines University", or any toes related study in "The Journal of the American Medical Society" and it always goes back to the same article that has been pasted all over www. So it's possible that it's a hoax/ a satire or one of the weird theories. The language in the last two paragraphs certainly indicates that.
 
I also have this, but only on my right foot.
 
I've read several times that 'normal' feet (longer big toe) are called Egyptian feet while feet with a longer second toe are called Greek feet. Apparently, Greek feet would account for 31% of the population (which cannot exactly be called rare, then) while Egyptian feet account for 63%. The remaining 6% would be 'square' (or Roman) feet (almost all toes on the same line). The first time I encountered square feet was when I was babysitting a Danish little boy and so I had wondered at the time if it was a genetic thing typical of Danish/Scandinavian people.

I have 'normal', Egyptian feet (but my mother has the longer second toe kind).
 
Hey thanks for the information! I was thinking it was some sort of odd genetic quirk. I'm glad to hear it's not all that rare. Although I do find it courious that the fossels of Neanderthals had the same type of foot. I guess some genetics just stick around expressing itself in somewhat odd ways.

I don't think I've seen square feet!

My three kiddos all have 'Roman feet' as does their father.

Mrs.Tigersoap said:
I've read several times that 'normal' feet (longer big toe) are called Egyptian feet while feet with a longer second toe are called Greek feet. Apparently, Greek feet would account for 31% of the population (which cannot exactly be called rare, then) while Egyptian feet account for 63%. The remaining 6% would be 'square' (or Roman) feet (almost all toes on the same line). The first time I encountered square feet was when I was babysitting a Danish little boy and so I had wondered at the time if it was a genetic thing typical of Danish/Scandinavian people.

I have 'normal', Egyptian feet (but my mother has the longer second toe kind).
 
Found something else interesting on "greek foot" from wiki's page on Monton's toe.

It has a long association with disputed anthropological and ethnic interpretations. Morton called it Metatarsus atavicus, considering it an atavism recalling prehuman grasping toes. In statuary and shoe fitting it has been called the Greek foot (as opposed to the Egyptian foot, where the great toe is longer). A longer second toe has often been associated with royalty, particularly during the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty when Egypt was under Greek rulership. It was an idealized form in Greek sculpture, and this persisted as an aesthetic standard through Roman and Renaissance periods and later (the Statue of Liberty has toes of this proportion). There are also associations found within Celtic groups. The French call it commonly pied grec (just as the Italians call it piede greco), but sometimes pied ancestral or pied de Néanderthal[2].

Also looked at this reference about pied de Néanderthal. It says that the French believe it is a sign of intelligence. Which is kind of confusing if they also call it the Neanderthal foot. Maybe it's an indication of corruption, especially if it was associated with royalty?
 
Well, I've never really had the reason or the knowledge to take notice of this second toe 'anomaly'. I've never had the urge to go round checking out other folks feet, so I didn't know there was anything out of the ordinary. But I've just taken my socks off to have a look, and I too have my second toe longer than my big toe. But it's only a tiny bit longer, and I have my little toes twisted in like in Keit's picture, plus the longish and slender toes.

I can also curl all my toes under and pick stuff up, like you might imagine a monkey could do with their feet.
 
Harold said:
Harold said:
I have that.... :huh:

plus my toes are double jointed. I can make a fairly big noise with them. :-[

from what little I know of my genetic background, I do have Adriatic blood in me as well as British Iles. half n half.
 
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