vaDoma: The Ostrich Tribe of Zimbabwe

The Vadoma people also known as Bantwana tribe means "descendants" are a tribe living in northern Zimbabwe, generally in Sipolilo and Urungwe districts of Zambezi river valley. Their main language is Dema language. This tribe is famous for a condition of their foot, in which the middle three toes are absent and the two outer ones are turned in, resulting in the tribe being known as the "two-toed" or "ostrich-footed" tribe.

MYTHOLOGY
According to elder peoples of this tribe, their ancestors are bird-like beings, who descended to earth from stars and mixed their DNA with early humans and to produce offspring. The elders state that their ancient ancestors came from the star systems of Sirius and first established colonies on a planet within our solar system that they refer to as Liitolafisi.

Ectrodactyly
According to medical science this condition of the toe is known as Ectrodactyly. It is an inherited dominant genetic mutation. Some have theorized that the mutation may have adaptive benefit if it aids in tree climbing. It’s more likely, however, that the defect remains prevalent in the Vadoma because of a small genetic pool among the Vadoma. It is against tribal law for members to marry outside the group. Ectrodactyly occurs at lower rates throughout the world and can be caused by a number of human gene defects, a common one being a mutation of the 7th chromosome

Courtesy:

1. Vadoma: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadoma)
2. Zimbabwe - Tribes and People ( https://www.geni.com/projects/Zimbabwe-Tribes-and-People/23140)