Polydactyly

polydactyly (pŏl'ē-dāk'tə-lē) or polydactylism (-tə-lĭz'əm) n. A condition characterized by the presence of more than five digits on a hand or foot.

...or a paw. Much more common in animals like cats, polydactyly occasionally occurs in humans as an extra finger or two. Blues guitarist "Hound Dog" Taylor (1915-1975), for instance, was born with six fingers on each hand. But rarely are human polydactyls so perfectly formed as in the case of baby Kamani Hubbard, born last month in San Francisco. Not only does he have six perfectly formed digits on each hand and foot, they are all fully functioning. In fact, after the delivery, Kamani's polyactyly was not immediately noticed by the parents or the medical staff! Although they may prompt some teasing by his schoolmates in a few years, the extra digits are not a deformity to discard, since they are completely functional. "It's merely an interesting and beautiful variation rather than a worrisome thing,” said pediatrician Michael Treece. Agreed.