[HN Gopher] Marriage rules in Minoan Crete revealed by ancient D...
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       Marriage rules in Minoan Crete revealed by ancient DNA analysis
        
       Author : rntn
       Score  : 29 points
       Date   : 2023-01-16 17:48 UTC (5 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (phys.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (phys.org)
        
       | rntn wrote:
       | "Ancient DNA reveals admixture history and endogamy in the
       | prehistoric Aegean"
       | 
       | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01952-3
        
       | RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote:
       | > However, another finding was completely unexpected: on Crete
       | and the other Greek islands, as well as on the mainland, it was
       | very common to marry one's first cousin 4,000 years ago.
       | 
       | I guess this is revealing is modern, western biases. Throughout
       | much of history and through large parts of the world, it was very
       | common for cousins to marry. Even in the Bible, Jacob marries his
       | first cousins.
        
         | ipaddr wrote:
         | It was common to marry relations in America and Europe when the
         | church mattered more. It's more of a recent taboo and not
         | illegal in most places.
         | 
         | I wonder if studies have been done to show better outcomes when
         | genes are similiar vs very different
        
           | scotty79 wrote:
           | The more difference, the better outcomes.
           | 
           | I think that's why so many people have this unreasonable urge
           | to travel. If you didn't have that in the past very little
           | genetic diversity was available for your offspring.
        
         | mjh2539 wrote:
         | In Muslim countries a large plurality of marriages are to first
         | cousins:
         | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_in_the_Middle_...
        
       | notch656c wrote:
       | I find it entertaining how much marriage rules have changed over
       | the years, yet it seems to be a long-standing human practice that
       | is not terribly sensitive to asymmetric risks or downsides. It
       | seems no matter how unconscionable a contract it may look like on
       | the surface for the wife or the husband (depending on when and
       | where in history) it persists in widespread use.
        
         | [deleted]
        
       | soperj wrote:
       | How much does this(not marriage obviously, but producing
       | offspring with your cousin) happen in the animal kingdom I
       | wonder?
        
         | bryanrasmussen wrote:
         | Given a large enough but isolated population how often do you
         | end up with your cousin without knowing it. I've heard stories
         | here in Denmark.
        
       | guntherhermann wrote:
       | First cousin marriages are still quite common today in some
       | countries. Many of my school friends' parents were first cousins.
        
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       (page generated 2023-01-16 23:00 UTC)