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City In The Interior Of Rio Grande Do Sul Registers The Highest Twin Birth Rate In Brazil And Sparks The Interest Of Researchers, Tourists, And Curious People For Its Genetic Peculiarity And Cultural Tradition.
In The Interior Of Rio Grande Do Sul, The Municipality Of Cândido Godói Stands Out In The National And International Scientific Scene For Presenting The Highest Twin Birth Rate In Brazil, Reaching Up To Five Times Higher Than The National Average.
The Peculiarity Has Attracted Researchers, Geneticists, And The Curious For Decades, And The City Has Consolidated Its Fame As The “City Of Twins” Due To This Rare Phenomenon, Rigorously Documented In Scientific Articles And Official Sources, Such As The Brazilian Institute Of Geography And Statistics (IBGE) And INAGEMP (National Institute Of Genetic And Population Molecular Analysis).
The Main Focus Of Studies Falls On The District Of Linha São Pedro, Where, According To Genetic Surveys Published Since 2008 And Updated Until 2019, Almost 10% Of Births Correspond To Twins.
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This Rate Represents An Exceptional Level Compared To The Rest Of The Country, Where The National Twin Birth Rate Hovers Around 1.8%.
The Unusual Ratio Places The Gauchian Municipality At The Center Of Research On Population Genetics And Biological Inheritance In Brazil.
Why Cândido Godói Has So Many Twins
According To Experts, The Phenomenon Observed In Cândido Godói Has A Scientific Explanation: It Is The So-Called Founder Effect.
This Concept Refers To A Situation Where A Small, Geographically Isolated Population Preserves And Transmits Certain Genetic Characteristics Over Generations.
In The Case Of The City, The Strong Presence Of Descendants Of German Immigrants, Who Arrived In The Region In The Late 19th Century, Was Determinative.
Marriages Between People From The Same Community, Along With The Maintenance Of Cultural Customs And Habits, Favored The Dissemination Of Genes That Increase The Probability Of Twin Births.
Researchers From INAGEMP And Various Brazilian Universities Have Been Investigating The “City Of Twins” For More Than Two Decades.
The Research Involved DNA Analysis, Collection Of Genealogical Data, And Interviews With Residents.
The Results Confirmed The Presence Of A Genetic Mutation Associated With Double Ovulation, Especially In Maternal Lineages.
According To Scientists, The Mutation Was Likely Brought By Some Of The First Colonizers And, Due To Isolation, Became Common Among The Inhabitants.
Myths And Theories: What Has Already Been Discarded By Science
For Many Years, Fantastical Versions Circulated About Experiments Conducted During The Nazi Period, Especially Linking The Figure Of Josef Mengele, The Nazi Doctor Who Was In Brazil, To The High Twin Rate.
However, After Rigorous Analyses And Reviews Of Historical Records, Brazilian And Foreign Researchers Completely Discarded This Hypothesis.
According To Scientific Surveys, There Is No Evidence Of Artificial Genetic Manipulation In The Region.
All The Explanation For The Phenomenon Lies In The History Of Immigration, Geographic Isolation, And The Genetic Factors Inherited, As Indicated By The International Reference Studies Published Until June 2025.
How The City Deals With The Fame Of The “City Of Twins”
Far From Seeing The High Incidence Of Twins As A Mystery Or A Cause For Concern, Cândido Godói Embraced Its Uniqueness And Transformed It Into Cultural Identity.
Every Two Years, The City Hall And The Community Promote The Traditional Twins Festival, An Event That Brings Together Hundreds Of Pairs Of Siblings, Residents, Tourists, And Scholars.
The Last Edition Of The Event, Held In 2024, Counted With The Participation Of More Than 100 Pairs Of Twins, Establishing Itself As One Of The Main Celebrations On The Local Calendar.
The Festival Program Mixes Elements Of German Traditions With Typical Activities Of Gaucho Culture, Such As Parades, Contests, Folklore Performances, And Family Gatherings.
In Addition To Strengthening Community Ties, The Event Has Also Become An Important Tourist Attraction For The Local Economy, Stimulating Visits From Researchers, Journalists, And Visitors From All Over The Country.
Experience Tourism, Combined With Scientific Curiosity, Increased Interest In Cândido Godói, Even Attracting The Attention Of Universities And Research Institutes From Abroad.
What Official Data Says About Twin Births In The City
Data From The IBGE And Research From INAGEMP Confirm The Uniqueness Of The Incidence Of Twins In Cândido Godói.
According To A Survey Released In 2019, For Every 10 Children Born In The District Of Linha São Pedro, One Of Them Is Part Of A Pair Of Twins.
In Absolute Numbers, It Is Estimated That, In A Population Of About 6,500 Inhabitants, The Municipality Has More Than 70 Pairs Of Twins Registered Only Among Local Residents.
Based On These Data, The “City Of Twins” Has Become An International Reference In The Study Of Twin Genetics.
In Addition To Scientific Interest, The Significant Presence Of Twins Has Influenced Education, School Life, And The Social Life Of Residents.
Schools And Health Centers Have Adapted Practices To Correctly Identify Identical Siblings, While The International Press Has Highlighted The Phenomenon In Documentaries And Reports Since The 2000s.
Other Factors That Contribute To The High Twin Rate
In Addition To The Genetic Component, Other Historical And Social Aspects Contribute To The Maintenance Of The Phenomenon.
Among Them, The Low Population Mobility Stands Out: For Decades, Few Families Have Moved Or Left The City, Which Helped Preserve The Gene Responsible For Twin Births.
Studies Indicate That Most Marriages Still Occur Among Descendants Of The First Colonizers, Reinforcing The So-Called Founder Effect.
Currently, Multidisciplinary Teams Continue Investigating The Case, Including Biologists, Anthropologists, Sociologists, And Doctors.
The Perspective Is To Broaden Understanding Of Genetic Transmission And The Consequences Of Population Isolation, Which May Benefit Research In Other Regions Of The World With Similar Phenomena.
Curiosities And Impact On The Daily Life Of The City Of Twins
Cândido Godói Gained Notoriety Not Only For Scientific Data But Also For Life Stories And Day-To-Day Peculiarities.
Various Local Establishments Celebrate The Phenomenon, Using The Image Of Twins As A Trademark In Schools, Businesses, And Sports Events.
The International Press, Such As The BBC And National Geographic, Has Already Dedicated Reports To The Municipality, Highlighting The Hospitality Of Residents And The Local Pride In Being Part Of This Unique Chapter Of Science.
In Light Of Such Repercussions, One Question Arises: To What Extent Can Genetics, History, And Isolation Transform The Identity Of An Entire City? And You, Would You Be Curious To Know The Daily Life Of The Twins In Cândido Godói?
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