Research downplays risk of cousin marriages

USA TODAY ^ | 4/4/02 | Richard Willing

[PatrickHenry]

... gorgeous, voluptuous 21 year-old identical twins were lovers.

Is this a great website or what?

[Sabertooth]

Is this a great website or what?

As highbrow as it gets.

Although, I'm given to understand that in the throwback offspring of cousins, the brow starts to bulge again.

"Are we not men?"

[aomagrat]

The founders of Shelbyville have been vidicated!

[texlok]

It's interesting that Darwin, of all people, married his first cousin, Emma Wedgewood. She was quite rich (from the Wedgewood pottery family), so it probably had something to do with survival of the fittest.

Or the richest.

I like Darwin a lot. The suicide bombers are proving him right. They aren't living long enough to breed.

[riley1992]

Very cool. This now means your marriage is legit.

[ColdSteelTalon]

For example, God prohibited men from marrying a woman and her widowed mother, in a time when polygamy was still practiced. There's no genetic reason for that, but it's still incest of a sort. He understood the emotional devastation of such unions and the rage it could spawn.

When cousins are prohibited from marrying, and incest is taboo, it not only prevents intra-family dogfights, it also expands the pool of men with no sexual interest in a given woman and who would be motivated protect her from exploitation and rape.

I aggree...

[riley1992]

the brow starts to bulge again.

Like this?

OPH and his Momma

[Sabertooth]

OPH and his Momma

Isn't that OPH on the right?

[weikel]

Abe: It all began when Jebediah Springfield first came to these lands with his partner, Shelbyville Manhattan. [flash to pilgrims approaching a hilltop]
Jebediah: People, our search is over! On this site we shall build a new town where we can worship freely, govern justly, and grow vast fields of hemp for making rope and blankets.
Shelb.: Yes, _and_ marry our cousins.
Jebediah: I was -- what are you talking about, Shelbyville? Why would we want to marry our cousins?
Shelb.: Because they're so attractive. I, I thought that was the whole point of this journey.
Jebediah: Absolutely not!
Shelb.: I tell you, I won't live in a town that robs men of the right to marry their cousins.
Jebediah: Well, then, we'll form our own town. Who will come and live a life devoted to chastity, abstinence, and a flavorless mush I call rootmarm?
[the people divide between Jebediah and Shelbyville]
Abe: The town of Springfield was born on that day, and to mark that sweet moment, our people planted this lemon tree (lemons being the sweetest fruit available at the time).

[VadeRetro]

And they say we're not descended from Neanderthals! Ugh! (Scratch! Scratch!)

[PatrickHenry]

Lurking. Letching.

[riley1992]

Oooops. You're right. His Momma shaved for the photo and it confused me.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

It's on Rush now.

[capitan_refugio]

Clearly these researchers never visited the Ozarks ...
Is that "Dueling Banjos" I hear? Squeal like a pig!

[MozarkDawg]

Ya know, I always had my doubts about the "just cuzzins" relationship 'tween Jethro and Ellie Mae ...