How do they do it? For centuries a community on South Korea's Jeju Island has been diving without oxygen, its female members holding their breath for several minutes as they harvest seafood from deep under water.
The haenyeo divers have been described as "mermaids" by the BBC. It had previously been assumed that their astonishing abilities were the product of lifelong training, but a new study has found that there is a genetic component to their talent.
The study, published in the journal Cell Reports, has found that centuries of free-diving may have altered the genetics of these women and their children, creating physiological adaptations that could have significant implications for medical understanding.
Jeju Islanders have one of the lowest age-standardised stroke death rates in South Korea – a little over 24 deaths per 100,000 people – compared to the United States, where there are about 37 deaths for every 100,000. Scientists are hoping to demonstrate that the genetic make-up of the islanders, and particularly their free-divers, is a contributing factor.
But how long the "matrilineal tradition" of free-diving will continue is in doubt, said National Geographic. It's "not as popular" with the younger generations, and most of the divers are now aged in their 60s, 70s and 80s, which means the "window" to study these genetic traits may be "closing".
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