Younger generations seem to be growing horns on the back of their skulls due to the extensive use of technology such as smartphones and tablets.
Two Australian researchers made the strange discovery by examining hundreds of X-rays of people between the ages of 18 and 30, finding that almost half had developed extra bones.
It is the type of bone commonly seen in older people whose bodies have suffered long-term poor posture and significant stress loads on their bones.
However, the presence of "corneal" growths on the skull raises serious concerns about what the extensive use of phones to young people's bodies.
The findings by Dr David Shahar and Associate Professor Mark Sayers at the University of the Sunshine Coast are being shared two years after they initially warned about the trend.
The sudden interest in the research was sparked by a BBC last week about how technology is changing the human body.
Dr Shahar said the study looked at 218 X-ray images of people aged between 18 and 30 and found that 41% had developed a bony bump on the back of their skulls, ranging in size from 10mm to 30mm.
Additional tests, including MRI scans, ruled out the possibility that the bone growths were the result of genetics or injury.
«"It is important to understand that, in most cases, the lumbar layers measure only a few millimeters and yet we found projections of 10 to 30 millimeters in the young population under study."
The findings offer a warning about the impact of poor posture, especially among young people, due to extensive phone and gadget use.
