Is there an evolutionary benefit to some people's ability to roll their tongue?

Question

What is it?

Answer 1

It would certainly help a young lady attract a potential mate, sometimes from across a crowded bar.  

Answer 2

6-Gun Annie has it right...there are plenty of traits, in humans and other organisms, that have no apparent evolutionary advantage, yet they aren't harmful either.  They simply showed up some time in the past as the result of a random mutation, and have propagated more or less randomly since then (I say "more or less" because some of these seemingly unimportant traits may be linked to other, important traits, and we just don't see the connection yet).

But sure...tongue-rolling, attached or free earlobes, the presence or absence of a widow's peak in a person's hairline...what do any of these have to do with survival or reproductive success?  Probably nothing: they just showed up and haven't been escorted out of the gene pool because they're harmless.

I hope that helps.  Good luck!

Answer 3

I dont believe the benefit is evolutionary, unless our teeth dissolve and we have to find ways to deisperse foods without chewing...I think its strictly a sexual advance, lol

Answer 4

Probably not, but some traits occur randomly and are neither good nor bad, so they're not selected against,.

Answer 5

maaaybe.......its in the future so who knows ^^

Answer 6

Never thought about that one before, but a baby who's tongue couldn't roll at all would have a hard time nursing making it less likely to survive.

When considering evolutionary fitness, you have to remember that an advantage doesn't have to be huge to become common.