Buzz
Instead of walking on two legs like usual, all residents in this village, from adults to children, crawl on both hands and feet. What is the reason behind this phenomenon?
Darwin's theory of evolution suggests that humans evolved from ancient apes. Over hundreds of years, some genes gradually became unnecessary and transitioned from walking on four legs to walking on two.
In today's world, walking upright seems to be a sign of maturity, indicating modern human civilization. Everything in our lives is designed to fit the shape of the human body moving on two legs.
However, in a remote village in Turkey, the residents cannot stand or walk upright. They move by crawling on both hands and feet. They crawl very quickly and there is no difference in speed compared to the normal way of moving.
Some media outlets have come here to report on this issue. They captured footage of the villagers moving by crawling on the ground. This has made the village the center of attention at that time.
Initial viewers of these scenes in videos often perceived it as a mere ploy to attract tourists for local tourism development. Nevertheless, numerous experts and researchers visited to gather evidence. The findings revealed that all residents exhibited thick calluses on their hands, indicating years of moving in this manner without protective gear.
Due to frequent crawling on the ground, the bodies of the people living here differ from those of regular individuals. Their spine and waist are deformed, and their hips are wider.
In addition to the physical differences, researchers also discovered that the lifespan of the residents here is shorter than average. Those with good physical strength in the village have a lifespan about 10 years shorter than normal movers.
According to Sohu, after investigating this village, many experts conducted rigorous sampling surveys from local water sources to food. The results showed no unusual phenomena in the daily food consumption.
Some experts attempted to communicate with the villagers and noticed their speech and responses were unclear. Their communication reactions were also very slow. The villagers hardly engage in conversations or interact with the outside world. Consequently, marriages are mostly endogamous, with villagers marrying each other. This phenomenon leads to serious consequences, such as the birth of children with congenital disabilities, cognitive impairments, and mobility loss.
Furthermore, many experts also observed that some local residents suffer from cerebellar ataxia. Liza J. Shapiro, the lead researcher from the University of Texas, affirmed to The Washington Post that this condition complicates their sense of balance. To adapt, the locals here have to move using all four limbs.
According to The Washington Post, another study reveals that this is their preferred mode of movement even when climbing up and down stairs. They move effortlessly, seemingly without discomfort. This is in complete contrast to regular individuals attempting this gait.
As per Sohu, researchers have questioned why some perfectly healthy children still move using both arms and legs. The research team suggests it's because the village is located in a remote area with underdeveloped transportation, isolating it from the outside world. The healthy children never saw the typical bipedal movement. Hence, they only learn from their parents, moving with both arms and legs. Over time, this mode of movement becomes a habit for the villagers.
During the research conducted in this village, scientists tried to explain the consequences of consanguineous marriage to them. However, they all ignored the experts' opinions. What many find pitiful in this village is that children are born with normal bodies but are only taught to crawl by their parents. The older generation in the village instilled the belief that moving with both arms and legs is the correct way, making it very difficult to change this once ingrained from childhood.
