The town of Candido Godoi has for a long time had a secret dwelling within it. The rate of twins for this small village is more than 1000% above normal with no sign of slowing down. From 1990 to 1994 a study confirmed the long anticipated phenomenon that resulted in more twins than was considered normal. And now scientists believe they have discovered why.
After studying the DNA of residents in Candido Godoi, scientists discovered six specific genes distributed throughout the 30 families tested. While the results were astounding, scientists are still trying to determine just how this came about – though they have their theories. Because the city is relatively secluded, a single mutation several generations ago could have been compounded by intermarrying among the populations and reproducing within a very closed population. As a result, some genetic branches of the family tree will once again intertwine where they were once separate.
But how could this cause an increase in the number of twins? A specific set of genes found to be linked to increased egg production and release in females was found. More eggs means a greater possibility of multiple children being born at once.
The study was led by Ursula Matte in the 1990’s. Up until the research performed by Matte, Candido Godoi was said to have been the testing ground for ex Nazi doctor Josef “The Angel of Death” Mengele. The last investigation of the area turned up an unusual number of blonde haired blue eyed twins living within the population, only fueling fears that an ex Nazi experiment had gone on somewhere within the village. But the new investigation turned up evidence that the previous ones had missed. And from the looks of it, the twin genes go back past the 1930’s. Josef Mengele didn’t arrive in South America until 1949 after being released from Soviet custody.
One of the pieces of evidence against the theory that Mengele may have been behind the genetic irregularities discovered in Candido Godoi is the fact that, despite numerous atrocities and grisly experiments that can be described as nothing less than torture and murder, he wasn’t actually very successful as a scientist or a surgeon. This is one of the foundations behind why the story of the Dr. of Death was so disturbing. He was given a great deal of power over the lives of several people, but ultimately drowned in his swimming pool in 1978.
So it appears the correlation, at least according to scientists, with Mengele is pure coincidence in this case. But even so, there is still a large population both within and outside of the community that believe the real cause of the genetic abnormality came as the result of experimentation rather than a natural chain of events. But it would appear, unless new evidence is discovered at some future date, that this mystery has been solved.