Village of Twins - Neatorama

The worldwide rate of twins is one in every 80 births. In India, the normal rate is lower, only one 250 births. But in the village of Kodinhi, in the Indian state of Kerala, there are at least 250 sets of twins in a population of 2,000 families. And the rate of twin births has been increasing over the past decades. Dr Krishnan Sribiju has been studying the phenomenon.

"Without access to detailed biochemical analysis equipment I cannot say for certain what the reason for the twinning is, but I feel that it is something to do with what the villagers eat and drink.

"If that is the case then maybe whatever is causing this exceptional level of twinning can be bottled and provide help for infertile couples." Categorising the twin phenomenon as a naturally occurring anomaly, Dr Sribiju has ruled out genetic factors as the cause due to the localised nature of the village.

He also dismisses any suggestion that the unusual level of twins could be caused by an unknown pollutant pointing to the high number of healthy twins born without any deformities.

Link -via Digg

Preciously at Neatorama: the village of Brazilian Twins.

I think some of that neighborhood moved over to mine because there are three sets of twins in just my circle!

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This reminds me of Wolves of the Calla.

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I wonder whether the lower rate of twins in the subcontinent is fully explained by the results not being skewed by IVF, or whether twins die more readily being generally smaller and less robust. It'd be interesting to see whether the proportion of boy twins is much higher than girl twins. In a country where girls are still seen as a burden in some rural areas, twin girls might be the straw that broke the camel's back.

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If it's a small village, there's a chance that everyone is related in a more intimate way then other larger villages or towns, and since twins are hereditary (aren't they?), couldn't that be a reason?

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I was thinking the same as Paula. Doesn't seem like it'd take "detailed biochemical analysis equipment" to see how closely related the average individual is to another villager.

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A village. So?

In America, there are twin CITIES! Dallas-Fort Worth, or Minneapolis-St. Paul! USA! USA!

[I'd suggest to Dr. Sribiju to get a better understanding of genetic drift.]

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First comes smiles, then comes lies, last is gunfire Johnny Cat.

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That reminds me of the village in Fatal Frame II.

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Now that thar's some good science going on. What twig hut did those so called "doctors" get their diplomas from?

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It should be tested.

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