Dr. Melissa Ilardo

I mean, I've seen, you know, if you take babies and not recommending anyone do this, but like blow in their face, you know, they instinctively hold their breath and can be put underwater.

And actually, Bajo, people told me, and I don't know if this is something they actually do, but that the test of a Bajo...

is as a baby, they pass the baby under the canoe.

And if the baby comes out the other side, then it's a Bajo because it has held its breath like it will for the rest of its life. What's the alternative? Yeah. That's why I said, I don't know if they actually do this, but it was just something that they told me. But yeah, I think there is some innate response where we know even as babies to hold our breath.

And if the baby comes out the other side, then it's a Bajo because it has held its breath like it will for the rest of its life. What's the alternative? Yeah. That's why I said, I don't know if they actually do this, but it was just something that they told me. But yeah, I think there is some innate response where we know even as babies to hold our breath.

And if the baby comes out the other side, then it's a Bajo because it has held its breath like it will for the rest of its life.

And if the baby comes out the other side, then it's a Bajo because it has held its breath like it will for the rest of its life. What's the alternative? Yeah. That's why I said, I don't know if they actually do this, but it was just something that they told me. But yeah, I think there is some innate response where we know even as babies to hold our breath.

What's the alternative?

Yeah.

That's why I said, I don't know if they actually do this, but it was just something that they told me.

But yeah, I think there is some innate response where we know even as babies to hold our breath.

So we discovered that they have larger spleens. So, you know, I mentioned the spleen's role in diving. It's increasing your, sometimes people call it a biological scuba tank. You know, it's increasing the amount of oxygen available to you. So, you know, our hypothesis was that they would have larger spleens because a larger spleen presumably means longer diving, safer diving.

So we discovered that they have larger spleens. So, you know, I mentioned the spleen's role in diving. It's increasing your, sometimes people call it a biological scuba tank. You know, it's increasing the amount of oxygen available to you. So, you know, our hypothesis was that they would have larger spleens because a larger spleen presumably means longer diving, safer diving.

So we discovered that they have larger spleens.

So we discovered that they have larger spleens. So, you know, I mentioned the spleen's role in diving. It's increasing your, sometimes people call it a biological scuba tank. You know, it's increasing the amount of oxygen available to you. So, you know, our hypothesis was that they would have larger spleens because a larger spleen presumably means longer diving, safer diving.

So, you know, I mentioned the spleen's role in diving.

It's increasing your, sometimes people call it a biological scuba tank.

You know, it's increasing the amount of oxygen available to you.

So, you know, our hypothesis was that they would have larger spleens because a larger spleen presumably means longer diving, safer diving.

And so we compared them to a nearby population living in a very similar environment, but with a history of farming. So these are people who live right next to the ocean, but aren't really interacting with it. So, you know, Bajo children are in the water from the moment they're born almost. And then children in this other village didn't know how to swim.