Polymelia

Article summary

Polymelia is a birth defect in which an affected individual has more than the usual number of limbs. It is a type of dysmelia. In humans and most land-dwelling vertebrates, this means having five or more limbs. The extra limb is most commonly shrunken or deformed. The term is from Greek πολυ- "many", μέλεα "limbs". Sometimes an embryo started as conjoined twins, but one twin degenerated completely except for one or more limbs, which end up attached to the other twin. Sometimes small extra legs between the normal legs are caused by the body axis forking in the dipygus condition. Notomelia (from Greek for "back-limb-condition") is a form of polymelia where the extra limb is rooted along or near the midline of the back. Notomelia has been reported in Angus cattle often enough to be of concern to farmers. Cephalomelia (from Greek for "head-limb-condition") is a form of polymelia where the extra limb is rooted on the head.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1995 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of birth: 2005 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
3. date of birth: 2007 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1995". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of birth is "2005". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. The record states that the date of birth is "2007". What evidence would count against this claim?
5. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
6. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1338851257