Ewen Callaway – Hyperactivity helps nomads maintain weight
Attention deficit hyperactrive disorder (ADHD) is often considered A Bad Thing. But not so fast. Ewen Callaway writes Did hyperactivity evolve as a survival aid for nomads?
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The Ariaal are an isolated group of nomads who wander around northern Kenya, herding cows, camel, sheep and goats. Encouraged by Christian missionaries in the 1960s, some members settled in the same region and started relying on agriculture for some of their food.
The nomads and the settled groups still interact and intermarry, but they live drastically different lifestyles. “The nomads are always doing something. They are always walking to herd their animals,” Campbell says, while settled Ariaal tend to be sedentary.