Human quadrupeds found in Turkey

rh · Post by rh » Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:49 pm

Walden wrote:These people must surely lie somewhere between the lower animals and men, eh?

Sounds more like a product of inbreeding:

The siblings, who live with their parents and 13 other brothers and sisters, are mentally retarded, as a result of a form of cerebellar ataxia — an underdevelopment of the brain similar to that in cystic fibrosis. Their mother and father, who are themselves closely related, are believed to have passed down a unique combination of genes resulting in the behaviour.

I had a long-time patient with cerebellar ataxia (SCA-6), who, while not mentally retarded, had a great deal of difficulty with balance, speech and locomotion. It's remarkable that these folks can walk at all, much less that they've compensated by walking on all fours.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 7:50 pm

Walden wrote:These people must surely lie somewhere between the lower animals and men, eh?

I don't believe so. I just find the whole situation extremely curious and interesting.

spittin_in_the_wind · Post by **spittin_in_the_wind** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 8:05 pm

I think they're making a really big leap if they think these people's locomotion shows some sort of "throwback" behavior. Of course people who can't walk upright (for whatever reason) will find some means of locomotion--and if they can still walk on all fours, they will. My sister and I used to do the same thing playing horsey when we were kids. People can walk, trot, and canter! But it doesn't mean that walking on all fours is a special skill that has been lost in humans, or that they will find a "gene for bipedality" by studying these people. Anyone can walk on all fours (albeit not comfortably...look how they have to crane their necks to see forward). And of course they don't knuckle walk, our fingers aren't strong enough to support the weight. Hogwash I say, hogwash!!

Robin

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:19 pm

SteveShaw wrote:If only they'd told us that ontogeny sort of recapitulates phylogeny. A few months ago I could conceivably have felt a big thread coming on at this point from Wombat and Darwin...

Don't listen to any of it. The correct version is 'ontogeny recapitulates philately.'

Oh shut up, Wombat.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:45 pm

Wombat wrote:Don't listen to any of it. The correct version is 'ontogeny recapitulates philately.'

Oh shut up, Wombat.

Ah!

Hmm... if one can stamp with all fours, maybe this would be an advantage.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Tue Mar 07, 2006 9:47 pm

Walden wrote:
Wombat wrote:Don't listen to any of it. The correct version is 'ontogeny recapitulates philately.'

Oh shut up, Wombat.

Ah!

Hmm... if one can stamp with all fours, maybe this would be an advantage.

I can write with my toes (almost as well as I can suck them).

SteveShaw · Post by **SteveShaw** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:27 am

Wombat wrote:
SteveShaw wrote:If only they'd told us that ontogeny sort of recapitulates phylogeny. A few months ago I could conceivably have felt a big thread coming on at this point from Wombat and Darwin...
Don't listen to any of it. The correct version is 'ontogeny recapitulates philately.'

Oh shut up, Wombat.

I just knew someone would bring that awful Michael Philately into this. It's getting out of hand. Oh moderator, where art thou?

Steve

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 8:34 am

Did they find any turkey in the human quadrupeds?

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Wed Mar 08, 2006 10:41 pm

For anyone still interested (I am), here is a story with a slideshow of pictures of how they get around, in more detail (including an upclose picture of their hands):

http://www.nbc10.com/irresistible/7815702/detail.html