Although the concept of marrying a cousin or close relative is totally beyond my comprehesion just cause it has been done for centuries does not make it right. I am not going to judge you and tell you that you are right or wrong, but that statement does not hold any water. What is the reason that you would want to marry a close relative? I know it use to be done in Royal families all throughout the world but it was to keep the thrones in certain families.
Now as for genetics.....your right that you are not seeing "many, many birth defects" but why would you even want to take the chance? Also not all defects are visable to the human eye and we are not taking into account physilogical, mental and interior defects that may or may not be found. The law in Canada is that you are not allowed to marry someone who is anything less then 4 generations removed. So your 4th cousin.....this however is rarely a problem esp with so many ppl marrying outside of local areas. People move away for school, jobs, etc so to marry someone from your own town is not as common as it use to be.
My background it in genetics and I must say that I have found when you concentrate genes and allow for little genetic variation you often will not find the vigor, or resistance that you find with outcross. Now I am talking animals here, and genetic defects do not show up often either.....unless the gene is homozygous. We have a saying that is if you cross close animal families and it works then it is line-breeding, but if it fails it is in-breeding. I have found that with line breeding you are able to stamp offspring and that the resultant animals often are more consistant producers.....but how that helps the human race I have no idea!!!!
Again not trying to point fingers at you, just trying to understand it and give some imput from what I have learned with my own research(although with animals).
take care
Now as for genetics.....your right that you are not seeing "many, many birth defects" but why would you even want to take the chance? Also not all defects are visable to the human eye and we are not taking into account physilogical, mental and interior defects that may or may not be found. The law in Canada is that you are not allowed to marry someone who is anything less then 4 generations removed. So your 4th cousin.....this however is rarely a problem esp with so many ppl marrying outside of local areas. People move away for school, jobs, etc so to marry someone from your own town is not as common as it use to be.
My background it in genetics and I must say that I have found when you concentrate genes and allow for little genetic variation you often will not find the vigor, or resistance that you find with outcross. Now I am talking animals here, and genetic defects do not show up often either.....unless the gene is homozygous. We have a saying that is if you cross close animal families and it works then it is line-breeding, but if it fails it is in-breeding. I have found that with line breeding you are able to stamp offspring and that the resultant animals often are more consistant producers.....but how that helps the human race I have no idea!!!!
Again not trying to point fingers at you, just trying to understand it and give some imput from what I have learned with my own research(although with animals).
take care
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