The split‐hand and split‐foot anomaly in a central African Negro population

The split-hand and split-foot anomaly (ectrodactyly) was identified in five individuals of three generations of a kindred from a remote African Village; seven more were known to be affected in a further two generations. The malformations were confined to the hands and feet and inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with variable expression. Bilateral triphalangeal thumbs were present in three of the affected individuals.