Hope that you have come to grips with this by now. People naturally feel drawn to relatives because of traits and behaviors that they are custom to are seen the other person so if they don't know they are related things happen. Just know your bloodline in purer than most.
You are feeding into a stereotype. Stop it. Your parents being fourth cousins isn’t even remotely in the realm of inbreeding. If you want to see inbreeding read about the “Kentucky Blue People.” Most West Virginians aren’t related to their spouses. I find it silly that you made a big issue of this. It’s an interresting fact that your parents are distantly related. On my own dna matches I don’t even look at fourth cousins and beyond bc they are so distantly related it really doesn’t matter.
I would imagine that a few hundred years ago before travel became faster that entire villages or towns could be filled with cousins that they were not aware of. Especially records were not as good back then either. 4th cousins may have married a lot and never knew it!
My parents are first cousins. I notice that you americans are grossed out about stuff like that whenever I see you guys talking about this subject over the internet and your movies and pop culture. But here in my country (Brazil) people mostly think its ok, we don't consider cousin with cousin "incest". Its not that common but whenever somebody finds out about my parents being first cousins they don't care at all. We are grossed out by incest when its between parents and children or brothers and sisters, grandsons and grandpas and stuff like that. You can perfectly marry your cousin and need no legal fight to do so, actually, in our law, cousins are not even considered "family". My parents met when they were all grown up, they didn't even grew up together, so we don't see this situation as morally wrong or weird. But I can get you find this gross because its your culture. Me and my brother were born perfectly normal, I was the first in my class. Doctors told my mom that genetic problems like that happens when it goes for generations, just like in royalty families. Like, if I married another cousin of mine and then my kids married another cousin and it goes… The chance of a kid from cousin parents be born with problems is the same as to the kid from a mother who is older than 40.
This situation is called "pedigree collapse" and it is quite common. Nothing to be worried about. Being 4th cousins is NOT going to cause any problems. My husbands parents were 3rd cousins, several times over!! He turned out to be OK.
I found out my mother and father were cousins when I joined Ancestry. It’s funny I found out from my 1st cousin who was already on Ancestry when I joined. He told me that my parents wedding was delayed when they learned that their mothers were cousins. This happened in 1956. My mother was of a generation who didn’t discuss things like that with their children because that was grown folks business so she never told me. I’m not sure about the shared grandparents or the cousin numbering. I was told that the church checked the laws for Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia & New York and they could marry legally. If their mothers were cousins then the closest they could be would be 2nd cousins. I’m still trying to figure it all out.
There are 7 generations between my parent's shared ancestor. If you belong to a family that has lived in a certain area (especially a rural area) for a long time (in my parent's case, up to 400 years), it's pretty likely to happen.
Technically 6 generations is the point where you can't say that you have DNA from an ancestor that came before. You can find a better explanation in videos about DNA tests/ancestry. For instance, I know that I descend from Charlemagne, but after a millenium, nobody has DNA from Charlemagne. It's just the way it is.
If there are enough generations between you and your partner, it's unlikely that children will be born with any incest-related defect. My mom used to say that in the old days, it was known that 7 generations was the magic number. I am not sure how they figured that out without DNA tests… Probably experience!
It doesn't sound to me like you are much greater risk of anything than most of the population. This phenomenon is more common than you think. 🙂
Dude it's not just your family or your state I am my sister in laws 6th cousin twice removed which means my brother her husband is as well. He and I are from Washington she is from Illinois, I met her through her ex bf who met my husband online in a video game. We had no idea, and now their kids and my kids are both 1 cousins and 7th cousins. It just happens some times.
I know that I am descended from two brothers from five generations ago. Made a little mess of the family tree when two branches became duplicates from their father.
This is so common in the villages in Mexico. My parents are 4th cousins and people in their village have married 2nd cousins and there have been cases of 1st cousins having children together 50 yrs ago in that village.
Having parents who are 4th cousins does not count as inbreeding. Even if they were first cousins that is only mild inbreeding, it only becomes a problem if it happens repeatedly over generations. The genetic problems from first cousin interbreeding are overstated.
My maternal grandparents were cousins. I was adopted when I was 3-days old so I don't know what I am. So, on applications I check other & write human. I'm 60+ & Jewish. My grands, that are not in my blood line, were from Austria & left Europe before WW2 started and the Nazi regime took over. Be glad you know what's in your blood. I'll die not knowing but am fine with "human." on forms.
My parents aren't related, but I do a lot of geneology research for myself and my friends and literally whenever I get to somebody's Irish relatives – everyone is cousins. Usually first cousins or second cousins. I looked into this because I was curious why it was so sudden that cousins marrying became immoral and it seems like it was due to the eugenics movement. Apparently there's not actually that much more risk with cousins reproducing. (The farther the relationship the less risky, and it doesn't matter that much if there's no carrier conditions carried by both parents anyway.) All said though too, my parents weren't related and I'm still super mentally ill. There's never any guarantee with how kids turn out.
4th cousins… that's not that close. Up until more recent times (when people didn't move around as much)m it was quite common for cousins / 2nd cousins to marry (It still is in some cultures and some parts of the world). My mom's parents are 2nd cousins once removed.
I could be wrong, but I think the British believed in cousins marrying. Especially, if they belonged to the upperclass. They wanted to keep their fortunes in the family.
Einstein's parents were first cousins, so don't sweat it. Close genetic relations don't cause problems, but they can reveal shared family problems. After 3rd cousins, there is so much genetic variation that your shared DNA could be doubling on some great family genes. I would find out all you can about Hariett and Sara's parents. You got a double dose of them.
When my late father was doing his work on our family history he discovered that he and Mother were 8th cousins making me my own 10th cousin…By the way, this is very common.
I have read that there is a lower incidence of cancer in 2nd cousins, as they have fewer genetic mismatches, and are not too close to cause other genetic problems. So you shouldn't have any problem.
There are Valentine's on my mom's side of the family….We're from Washington Depot Connecticut. Mom's family "the Peet's were from the neighboring town of New Milford Connecticut.. Her father Hyrum was one of 12 children….. Mark, thank you for this post, you've peaked my curiosity…
Very nice
Hope that you have come to grips with this by now. People naturally feel drawn to relatives because of traits and behaviors that they are custom to are seen the other person so if they don't know they are related things happen. Just know your bloodline in purer than most.
You are feeding into a stereotype. Stop it. Your parents being fourth cousins isn’t even remotely in the realm of inbreeding. If you want to see inbreeding read about the “Kentucky Blue People.” Most West Virginians aren’t related to their spouses. I find it silly that you made a big issue of this. It’s an interresting fact that your parents are distantly related. On my own dna matches I don’t even look at fourth cousins and beyond bc they are so distantly related it really doesn’t matter.
I would imagine that a few hundred years ago before travel became faster that entire villages or towns could be filled with cousins that they were not aware of. Especially records were not as good back then either. 4th cousins may have married a lot and never knew it!
My parents are first cousins. I notice that you americans are grossed out about stuff like that whenever I see you guys talking about this subject over the internet and your movies and pop culture. But here in my country (Brazil) people mostly think its ok, we don't consider cousin with cousin "incest". Its not that common but whenever somebody finds out about my parents being first cousins they don't care at all. We are grossed out by incest when its between parents and children or brothers and sisters, grandsons and grandpas and stuff like that. You can perfectly marry your cousin and need no legal fight to do so, actually, in our law, cousins are not even considered "family". My parents met when they were all grown up, they didn't even grew up together, so we don't see this situation as morally wrong or weird. But I can get you find this gross because its your culture. Me and my brother were born perfectly normal, I was the first in my class. Doctors told my mom that genetic problems like that happens when it goes for generations, just like in royalty families. Like, if I married another cousin of mine and then my kids married another cousin and it goes… The chance of a kid from cousin parents be born with problems is the same as to the kid from a mother who is older than 40.
This situation is called "pedigree collapse" and it is quite common. Nothing to be worried about. Being 4th cousins is NOT going to cause any problems. My husbands parents were 3rd cousins, several times over!! He turned out to be OK.
I found out my mother and father were cousins when I joined Ancestry. It’s funny I found out from my 1st cousin who was already on Ancestry when I joined. He told me that my parents wedding was delayed when they learned that their mothers were cousins. This happened in 1956. My mother was of a generation who didn’t discuss things like that with their children because that was grown folks business so she never told me. I’m not sure about the shared grandparents or the cousin numbering. I was told that the church checked the laws for Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia & New York and they could marry legally. If their mothers were cousins then the closest they could be would be 2nd cousins. I’m still trying to figure it all out.
There are 7 generations between my parent's shared ancestor. If you belong to a family that has lived in a certain area (especially a rural area) for a long time (in my parent's case, up to 400 years), it's pretty likely to happen.
Technically 6 generations is the point where you can't say that you have DNA from an ancestor that came before. You can find a better explanation in videos about DNA tests/ancestry. For instance, I know that I descend from Charlemagne, but after a millenium, nobody has DNA from Charlemagne. It's just the way it is.
If there are enough generations between you and your partner, it's unlikely that children will be born with any incest-related defect. My mom used to say that in the old days, it was known that 7 generations was the magic number. I am not sure how they figured that out without DNA tests… Probably experience!
It doesn't sound to me like you are much greater risk of anything than most of the population. This phenomenon is more common than you think. 🙂
Dude it's not just your family or your state I am my sister in laws 6th cousin twice removed which means my brother her husband is as well. He and I are from Washington she is from Illinois, I met her through her ex bf who met my husband online in a video game. We had no idea, and now their kids and my kids are both 1 cousins and 7th cousins. It just happens some times.
Inbred Ned from West Virginity
Goudy ass nigga
Cousins? Really?! Seriously dude?
How many new cousins have you discovered?
I know that I am descended from two brothers from five generations ago. Made a little mess of the family tree when two branches became duplicates from their father.
This is so common in the villages in Mexico. My parents are 4th cousins and people in their village have married 2nd cousins and there have been cases of 1st cousins having children together 50 yrs ago in that village.
Fourth-level cousin relationship is absolutely no cause for concern.
Most of Icelanders are as related as your parents are. No prob. Not really incest. does not matter at all.
Having parents who are 4th cousins does not count as inbreeding. Even if they were first cousins that is only mild inbreeding, it only becomes a problem if it happens repeatedly over generations. The genetic problems from first cousin interbreeding are overstated.
My maternal grandparents were cousins. I was adopted when I was 3-days old so I don't know what I am. So, on applications I check other & write human. I'm 60+ & Jewish. My grands, that are not in my blood line, were from Austria & left Europe before WW2 started and the Nazi regime took over. Be glad you know what's in your blood. I'll die not knowing but am fine with "human." on forms.
My parents aren't related, but I do a lot of geneology research for myself and my friends and literally whenever I get to somebody's Irish relatives – everyone is cousins. Usually first cousins or second cousins. I looked into this because I was curious why it was so sudden that cousins marrying became immoral and it seems like it was due to the eugenics movement. Apparently there's not actually that much more risk with cousins reproducing. (The farther the relationship the less risky, and it doesn't matter that much if there's no carrier conditions carried by both parents anyway.) All said though too, my parents weren't related and I'm still super mentally ill. There's never any guarantee with how kids turn out.
4th cousins… that's not that close. Up until more recent times (when people didn't move around as much)m it was quite common for cousins
/ 2nd cousins to marry (It still is in some cultures and some parts of the world). My mom's parents are 2nd cousins once removed.
If anything makes things interesting
Its fine. Anything past 2nd Cousins won't effect you, Chromosomes wise
Way more common back then and still common today. And that's across the whole USA. You are just fine.
Inbreeeeeeeed
"I'm my own 5th cousin" LMFAO
I could be wrong, but I think the British believed in cousins marrying. Especially, if they belonged to the upperclass. They wanted to keep their fortunes in the family.
Einstein's parents were first cousins, so don't sweat it. Close genetic relations don't cause problems, but they can reveal shared family problems. After 3rd cousins, there is so much genetic variation that your shared DNA could be doubling on some great family genes. I would find out all you can about Hariett and Sara's parents. You got a double dose of them.
When my late father was doing his work on our family history he discovered that he and Mother were 8th cousins making me my own 10th cousin…By the way, this is very common.
I have read that there is a lower incidence of cancer in 2nd cousins, as they have fewer genetic mismatches, and are not too close to cause other genetic problems. So you shouldn't have any problem.
Interesting video..
There are Valentine's on my mom's side of the family….We're from Washington Depot Connecticut. Mom's family "the Peet's were from the neighboring town of New Milford Connecticut.. Her father Hyrum was one of 12 children…..
Mark, thank you for this post, you've peaked my curiosity…