All families have their own quirks and habits, but one group of relatives has such a unique trait that scientists have branded them a total anomaly of the human species.
The Ulas family has been the subject of evolutionary fascination for years after they were discovered in a remote village in Turkey walking on all fours. Back in the early 2000s, a scientific paper was published on five of the Ulas siblings and their strange bear crawl-style of movement, with experts divided over the cause of the abnormality.
In the years following the paper’s publication, evolutionary psychologist Professor Nicholas Humphrey, of the London School of Economics (LSE), travelled to Turkey to meet with the extraordinary family. The Ulas mother and father had a staggering 18 children, however, of these, only six were born with quadrupedalism (walking on all fours), which has never been seen before in modern adult humans.
“I never expected that even under the most extraordinary scientific fantasy that modern human beings could return to an animal state,” Humphrey told 60 Minutes Australia, which made a documentary about the family back in 2018. “The thing which marks us off from the rest of the animal world is the fact that we’re the species which walks on two legs and holds our heads high in the air,” he added. “Of course, it’s language and all other sorts of things too, but it’s terribly important to our sense of ourselves as being different from others in the animal kingdom. These people cross that boundary.”
The documentary describes the Ulas as “the missing link between man and ape” and suggests that they “shouldn’t exist” at all. And yet, no one has yet figured out the precise cause of the strange walking style. Whilst some experts have suggested that it’s caused by a genetic problem which has “undone the last three million years of evolution”, others have rejected the idea that there’s a specific “gene” for upright walking and suggested something else is at play.
Humphrey pointed out that the affected siblings – five of whom are still alive and aged between 22 and 38 – all suffer from a particular form of brain damage. In the 60 Minutes documentary, he showed MRI scans which revealed that they each had a shrunken section of the brain called the cerebellar vermis. However, the professor also noted that this in itself “[doesn’t] account for their walking on four legs”. He explained: “Other children who have damaged cerebellum, even children who have no cerebellum, can still walk upright.”
He also stressed that the Ulas’ form of quadrupedalism differs from that seen in our closest animal relatives – chimpanzees and gorillas – in one key way. Whilst these primates walk on their knuckles, the Turkish children’s use the palms of their hands – putting their weight on their wrists while lifting their fingers off the ground. “What’s significant about that is that chimpanzees ruin their fingers walking like that,” Humphrey told the BBC News website back in 2006 when the BBC broadcast its own documentary about the family. “These kids have kept their fingers very agile, for example, the girls in the family can do crochet and embroidery,” he added.
Humphrey has hypothesized that this could indeed be the way our direct ancestors walked. By keeping their fingers dextrous, our early predecessors would also have been able to manipulate tools, which was crucial to the evolution of the human body and intelligence. “I think it’s possible that what we are seeing in this family is something that does correspond to a time when we didn’t walk like chimpanzees but was an important step between coming down from the trees and becoming fully bipedal,” Humphrey told the news site.
The LSE researcher also suggested that there are more basic explanations for the Ulas children’s quadrupedalism: they were simply not encouraged to walk on two feet. In the Turkish village where they grew up, there was no local health service to help the disabled kids make the transition from crawling as babies (on hands and knees) to walking fully upright. Humphrey told 60 Minutes that he provided the Ulases with a walking frame and within a few hours “there was an astonishing transformation”. “The children who had never taken a step upright on two legs [used] this frame to walk across the room with such delight in their faces and a sense of achievement,” he recalled, adding that it was as if they had “suddenly made a breakthrough into the world they never imagined they could ever enter.”
The Ulas family’s case raises many intriguing questions about the development and evolution of the human species. It challenges our understanding of what it means to be uniquely human and crosses the boundaries between human and animal characteristics. While the exact cause of their quadrupedalism remains a mystery, it is evident that there is a complex interplay of genetic factors and brain abnormalities involved.
Looking ahead, the Ulas family’s extraordinary condition prompts us to consider the future of human evolution. As we continue to explore new frontiers in genetics and neuroscience, it is possible that we may encounter more individuals with similar variations. This opens up avenues for further research and investigation into the intricate mechanisms of human development and evolution.
Furthermore, the Ulas family’s story reminds us of the importance of societal support and healthcare services. Their lack of access to early intervention and medical assistance hindered their ability to transition from crawling to walking upright. This highlights the need for comprehensive healthcare systems that can cater to the diverse needs of individuals with unique conditions and disabilities.
The implications of the Ulas family’s case extend beyond the realm of scientific curiosity. It challenges societal norms and perceptions about what it means to be “normal” and urges us to embrace diversity and celebrate the rich tapestry of human experiences. In a world that often values conformity, their story serves as a powerful reminder that human differences should be cherished and respected.
In conclusion, the Ulas family’s journey offers a glimpse into the complexities of human evolution and the remarkable resilience of the human spirit. As we continue to uncover the mysteries of our own species, it is crucial to approach these discoveries with curiosity, empathy, and an appreciation for the diversity that exists within our shared human experience.