Marrying your cousin has long been considered taboo, but new research says that procreating with your cousins may not be as risky as previously thought. Popular Science's Eleanor Cummins breaks down the findings. Eleanor Cummins, Editorial Assistant at Popular Science, breaks down the findings. Columbia University data scientist Yaniv Erlich studied a family tree of 13 million people to see how marrying various relatives impacts the risk of genetic birth defects. He found that one set of first cousins having children doesn't necessarily pose a high risk of having children with birth defects, but if the trend continues beyond one generation, then the risk increases exponentially.

Share:
More In Science
West Virginia University Uses Tech to Track and Predict Coronavirus Outbreaks
West Virginia University has developed technology that can predict coronavirus outbreaks with 90 percent accuracy. Dr. Ali Rezai, executive chair of WVU's Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, joined Cheddar to discuss the technology and protocols the university will implement to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Load More