OUR BENEFACTORS
THE BALLYHOO
CONGRESS OF THE ODD
THE OSTRICH PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE
The topic of ectrodactyly has been discussed in the past on this very site. The story of Grady Stiles Jr. detailed the condition at length but, to summarize, ectrodactyly is a rare congenital deformity of the hand where the middle digit is missing and the hand is cleft where the metacarpal of the finger should be. It is perhaps best known as ‘lobster claw syndrome’. It is an inherited condition and often occurs in both the hands and the feet. It generally affects about 1 in 90,000 babies, with males and females equally likely to be affected.
However, with the so called Ostrich People of Zimbabwe, ectrodactyly occurs in roughly 1 in 4 infants. The Vadoma are a tribe living in near seclusion along the Zambezi River Valley in western Zimbabwe. They were considered something of a legend, a myth, until their mainstream discovery by one Charles Sutton in the 1950’s. The Vadoma are a popular example of the genetic effects of small population size on genetic defects and mutation. Due to the Vadoma tribe’s isolation, their population has maintained a constant appearance of ectrodactyly, and due to the comparatively small gene pool, the condition is much more frequent than elsewhere.Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the Vadoma condition is the total acceptance and adaptation of the population. The deformity is not regarded as a handicap; rather it is simply viewed as a fact of life.
A brief video of the Ostrich People can be found here.
© 2007 – 2012, J Tithonus Pednaud. All rights reserved.
RECOMMENDED READING
American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia
Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit
Sideshow U.S.A.: Freaks and the American Cultural Imagination
Freaks, Geeks, and Strange Girls
Pickled Punks & Girlie Shows: A Life Spent on the Midways of America
The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton: A True Story of Conjoined Twins
The Circus Age: Culture and Society under the American Big Top
Freakery: Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body
James Taylor's Shocked and Amazed: On & Off the Midway
THE AUTHOR
J Tithonus Pednaud has dedicated this site to highlighting the remarkable lives of those born exceedingly different. These so-called freaks and human oddities stand as uplifting testaments to human spirit and serve as inspiring examples of human tenacity.
7 Responses to “THE OSTRICH PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE”
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I suppose that that’s what “Lobster Larry” had. It seems to make sense because I think that at least his son had it to. Very informative, thank you so much! =]
I suppose that that’s what Grady “Lobster Larry” Stiles had. It seems to make sense because I think that at least his son had it too. Very informative, thank you so much! =]
http://atlasobscura.com/places/vadoma-or-ostrich-people
The ostrich people are incredibly fascinating. I added the Vadoma to the Atlas Obscura.
The ostrich people are incredibly fascinating, but find it also sad that nobody was able to solve this humam marvel, and update the world to find a charity and help this silent sufferers.
Paul Kerssenberg – upon reading this article, one may find that the “ostrich people” seem to be perfectly fine with having this mutation. It is a part of their life and I doubt they are “suffering” because of it. Charity efforts could be put out if they are in need of food or clean water, but as far as this affliction goes it is something that they are born with and thus it does not seem as though it bothers them; it’s best to leave it alone.
That’s really something to think about– it sounds like it’s not considered a deformity at all, but just a variation, like having detached earlobes or a hitchhiker’s thumb or something. I love your site– it’s eaten my whole evening. : )
Deary me, I have the condition and so did my father. It is not as rare as you think and has nothing to do with inbreeding. The tribe has it because one person was born with it to start with, for no reason other than a genetic mutation and because they don’t marry outside the tribe’ it was continued. It is not something that is actually caused from inbreeding, it has to be there to start with.
And yes people like me with it lead normal lives, I am educated, have two degrees on my own home, and business.. We should not be called freaks, it’s simply a birth defect, and birth defects are not rare.