Global Inbreeding

[Pallantides]

Researchers who study inbreeding track consanguineous marriages—those between second cousins or closer. In green countries, at least 20 percent and, in some cases, more than 50 percent of marriages fall into this category. Pink countries report 1 to 10 percent consanguinity; peach-colored countries, less than 1 percent. Data is unavailable for white countries.
http://discovermagazine.com/2003/aug/featkiss/cousin_3.gif

[Treffie]

One of the worst areas for consanguinity is the island of Tristan da Cunha (http://www.zamel.us/tristan_article.htm), in the South Atlantic Ocean. Due to the prevalence of asthma, due to inbreeding, scientists have been able to isolate the gene that causes it.

[Tabiti]

Nothing surprising. The less educated the people are - the more inbreeding occurs.
But why Spain and Portugal's rates are bigger compared to rest of Europe?
Here, there always were certain church and now state laws prohibiting the marriage within family line (the closest relative you could marry is your third cousin).

[Äike]

Nothing surprising. The less educated the people are - the more inbreeding occurs.
But why Spain and Portugal's rates are bigger compared to rest of Europe?
Here, there always were certain church and now state laws prohibiting the marriage within family line (the closest relative you could marry is your third cousin).

Islamic influence? The most inbreeding is occurring in the Muslim countries and Iberia has strong links with Islam, even though Muslims as a population practically don't exist there anymore.

[Tabiti]

If it was the Muslim influence, the Balkans should have much higher rate.

[Ibericus]

Islamic influence? The most inbreeding is occurring in the Muslim countries and Iberia has strong links with Islam, even though Muslims as a population practically don't exist there anymore.

Iberia strong links with Islam ? Errrr? :confused:
And Actually there are about 6% of Muslims (immigrants)

[Ibericus]

Nothing surprising. The less educated the people are - the more inbreeding occurs.
But why Spain and Portugal's rates are bigger compared to rest of Europe?
Here, there always were certain church and now state laws prohibiting the marriage within family line (the closest relative you could marry is your third cousin).

Japan is also in pink

[Pallantides]

It says from 1 to 10 precent, so who knows ...maybe it's just 2 percent. :)

[The Black Prince]

Nothing surprising. The less educated the people are - the more inbreeding occurs.
So the social elite throughout time was always less educated as the lower classes?

Inbreeding has no direct correlation with lack of education, rather elements as isolated populations, strict social class hierarchy and (superstitious) religion are the key factors.

The fact that those high religious, isolated populations and strong social differences are more occurring in less wealthy, less educated areas of the world with bad infrastructure does not directly mean that people that are poor, less educated are more prone to inbreeding.;)

[Tabiti]

Japan is also in pink
Yes, but Asians have different culture. I was just wondering what differs exactly Spain and Portugal from the rest of Europe.

[Pallantides]

Here, there always were certain church and now state laws prohibiting the marriage within family line

There were similar laws in Northern Europe.

[The Black Prince]

If there were/are laws written it means that there were/are people not doing it right.

[Pallantides]

If there were/are laws written it means that there were/are people not doing it right.

I don't know if there were any written laws, but it was something you just did not do.

[Tabiti]

If there were/are laws written it means that there were/are people not doing it right.
Of course. Even the aristocracy did it.

[The Black Prince]

I don't know if there were any written laws, but it was something you just did not do.
Rather the other way around, cousin marriages happened quite often, therefore those laws were written.

For Norway:
§3. Forbidden marriages between close relatives.

Marriage between ascendants and descendants in straight line or between siblings are forbidden.
Marriage between adopting parent and adopted child is also forbidden, unless the child is adopted by someone else later, and permission is given by a civil servant to marry the former adopting parent or his or hers relative.

Source: http://www.lovdata.no/cgi-wift/wiftldles?doc=/usr/www/lovdata/all/tl-19910704-047-002.html&dep=alle&emne=ekteskap&


Especially Norwegian nobility made a mess of it, King Harald his parents were first cousins, but so were his paternal grandparents, and his maternal grandparents.:D

[Pallantides]

I bet most European countries had similar laws at that time.

[Tabiti]

Exactly the same words are written in our Family law codex. Before that they were used by the church institution.