3/9/2006: Quadruped humans (and international science)

[Undertoad]

These people are all from the same inbred family. They aren't playing, this is how they walk. Are they A) spazzes, B) severely mentally handicapped, or C) evidence of backward evolution in humans?

That's the controversy started by Turkish researcher Uner Tan. Tan described the people in the first full story:

"The children exhibiting this syndrome originated from a family having 19 children," he wrote in another recent paper, in the journal Neuroquantology. Five of these, aged 14 to 32 years, "walked on two palms and two feet, with extended legs… They could stand up, but only for a short time, with flexed knees and heads."

"The patients had a rather primitive language... they spoke to each other using their own language, using only a few hundred words" which the parents could partly understand, Tan wrote.

"They were mentally retarded; they could not count from one to ten. They were not aware of time and space. For instance, they did not know where they live (which country, which village, which city). They were unaware of year, season, day, and time. Otherwise, they had quite strong legs and arms."

Here's a weird movie clip of one of the woman moving along on all fours.

You would think this is some sort of genetic freakdom. Tan went a step further to say the freakdom might be traceable to one particular gene, which these people were missing. Tan then argued that...

the mutation—known to run in one Turkish family—might offer scientists an unprecedented glimpse into human origins.

"This syndrome interestingly exhibits prehuman features" and represents "possible backward evolution," he wrote in a paper describing the condition. As such, it "can be considered a live model for human evolution."

Devolution on display via inbreeding? This prompted some skepticism in the scientific community. But now it's gone a step further (so to speak), as UK researchers working with the BBC to make a documentary have paid the family for exclusive access.

This outraged Tan, who complained that it was misconduct. Then the UK researchers pointed out that it wasn't Tan who found the family first anyway, and called some of Tan's claims "bizarre".

Who's right? Don't know. The last World Science article on the subject says that US genetics researcher Keith Crandall says reverse human evolution is plausible and, more important, testable.

And that, in turn, means that the knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing drooler who sits next to you is not just an uneducatable doof, but evidence of the return of humanity to its genetic origin... the caveman.

[Emrikol]

I'm a sick, sad person.

This is the first thing I thought of:


(If you don't know what this is about)

[Pancake Man]

Em, you aren't the only one.
At first I thought that they just didn't have the mental facilities of a regular person, and they don't, but now that I read about the missing gene....

[Happy Monkey]

Sometimes when I have a dream that someone is chasing me, I dream that I can run much faster on all fours. I wonder if it's some sort of genetic remnant...

[Trilby]

Remember that X-Files episode where the family was all inbred and they had weird mutations? That episode grossed me out. This disturbs me, but it does explain a lot of the men I've dated.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by Brianna

but it does explain a lot of the men I've dated.

[Promenea]

Interesting that they all walk with their palms open and flat unlike apes which tend to knuckle walk.

I bet when they figure it out it is something that simply alters their ability to lock their hips/knees as they swing along two legged. If there is a structural weakness (as opposed to a muscular weakness) the quadraped walking would be the best way to adapt and get around.

[Trilby]

Actually, I've changed my mind about this. It doesn't disturb me, it cheers me up! Think of this: no matter how bad things get things could always be worse. you could be a retarded quadruped in Turkey!

[barefoot serpent]

just keep 'em the hell away from this family

[Leah]

[capnhowdy]

resembles the 'crackhead looking for a smidgen on he carpet' syndrome.
Only runs in one family. Hmmm.....

[xoxoxoBruce]

I suppose they'd do it doggie style?

[chrisinhouston]

UT quoted: "The children exhibiting this syndrome originated from a family having 19 children,"

Uhh, maybe that has something to do with it??? Uhh, maybe that has something to do with it??? 19 Children???

[seakdivers]

I read one of the many articles about this, and it said that the parents of the numerous children were "closely related".

Ok - this is terrible, but do you think it's possible that in a poor/ inbred family with so many children that the mentally weak ones might emulate the only ones that pay them any attention? (the animals). I can't assume that they were treated as such, but their behavior sure makes you wonder.

[tippy]

I view this forum a lot and generally find the pictures fascinating and the general ethos sound and the opinions thoughtful even if I don't agree with them.

I was listening to a report about the difference between this kind of walking on all 4, with wrist flexed, which allows retention of the use of the fingers, whereas walking on your knuckles, like a chimp limits the dexterity of the hand, and so the photograph is interesting as you can see how that actually looks.

However, I find a lot of the language and reference used regarding todays image extemely offensive and ignorant.

Devolution is not evolution in reverse.
No, they did not learn this from copying animals.
Calling people spazzers (and inbred for that matter) is not really a ringing indictment of your own humanity.

I know we are all grown ups and there is such a thing as having a laugh but really have a word with yourselves.