Incest (genetics)

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auto
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Incest (genetics)

Post by auto »

It were common in the past it seem important historical figures did it.

There is a rumor that you should not have puppies with relatives because they may born as freaks, was it to insert horror and fear or is there some truth in it?

If to think of purity then the purest would be to bind genetical information with the closest relative, while nowadays its ok to bind with stranger- binding without family gene and with pretty much different species.

thoughts about this? or is it too core subject?
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Nicolas
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Re: Incest (genetics)

Post by Nicolas »

This should belong in the Lounge area, which has been removed from the forum. So it should not be on this forum at all, but on Dharma Wheel Engaged: https://dharmawheel.org/.

To answer your question:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inbreeding wrote: Inbreeding results in homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased biological fitness of a population (called inbreeding depression), which is its ability to survive and reproduce. An individual who inherits such deleterious traits is referred to as inbred. The avoidance of expression of such deleterious recessive alleles caused by inbreeding, via inbreeding avoidance mechanisms, is the main selective reason for outcrossing. Crossbreeding between populations also often has positive effects on fitness-related traits, but also sometimes leads to negative effects known as outbreeding depression.
auto
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Re: Incest (genetics)

Post by auto »

Ok thanks for the info,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zygosity#Homozygous
True breeding organisms are always homozygous for the traits that are to be held constant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True-breeding_organism
A true-breeding organism, sometimes also called a purebred, is an organism that always passes down certain phenotypic traits (i.e. physically expressed traits) to its offspring of many generations.
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salayatananirodha
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Re: Incest (genetics)

Post by salayatananirodha »

Incest is referred to negatively in DN 26, where the eventual decay of society and decrease of lifespan is described.
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auto
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Re: Incest (genetics)

Post by auto »

salayatananirodha wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 1:48 am Incest is referred to negatively in DN 26, where the eventual decay of society and decrease of lifespan is described.
No its not. Even wondered why it would be possible to multiply yourself, a siddhi where you can become many?

Parthenogenesis. Asexual reproduction, virgin birth.
Laurens
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Re: Incest (genetics)

Post by Laurens »

Incest increases the odds of recessive genetic defects coming about because the individuals share very similar DNA. In other words if you carry a gene that is expressed as some defect or abnormality, but it is recessive, the chances are it won't come out unless you find someone else with the same recessive gene. Having sex with a relative increases those odds dramatically.

I doubt this is the only reason that incest is bad in terms of genetics, but it is the one that sticks in my mind from biology lessons. The taboo exists for a very good reason.

EDIT: Also it decreases the amount of variation in the gene pool, which stifles evolution. Species that are forced to inbreed often don't have the variation available to adapt successfully to changing conditions.
"If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

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Dhammanando
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Re: Incest (genetics)

Post by Dhammanando »

auto wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 10:54 am
salayatananirodha wrote: Tue Jul 24, 2018 1:48 am Incest is referred to negatively in DN 26, where the eventual decay of society and decrease of lifespan is described.
No its not.
Actually it is, though the diminution of life-span is said to be the consequence of other kinds of moral degeneration and precedes the period when humans fall into the widespread practice of incest.
Thus, brethren, from goods not being bestowed on the destitute poverty grew rife; from poverty growing rife stealing increased, from the spread of stealing violence grew apace, from the growth of violence the destruction of life became common, from the frequency of murder lying grew common, from lying growing common, evil speaking grew abundant, from evil speaking growing abundant, adultery grew common, from adultery growing common abusive and idle talk grew common, from abusive and idle talk growing common, covetousness and ill-will grew common, from covetousness and ill-will growing common, false opinions grew common, from false opinions growing common, incest, wanton greed and perverted lust grew common, finally from incest, wanton greed and perverted lust growing common lack of filial and religious piety and lack of regard for the head of the clan grew great.

From these things growing, the life-span of those beings and the comeliness of them wasted, so that, of humans whose span of life was two and a half centuries, the sons lived but one century.

There will come a time, brethren, when the descendants of those humans will have a life-span of ten years.

Among humans of this life-span, maidens of five years will be of a marriageable age.

[...]

Among such humans the ten moral courses of conduct will altogether disappear, the ten immoral courses of action will flourish excessively; there will be no word for moral among such humans—far less any moral agent.

Among such humans, brethren, they who lack filial and religious piety, and show no respect for the head of the clan—’Tis they to whom homage and praise will be given, just as today homage and praise are given to the filial-minded, to the pious and to them who respect the heads of their clans.

Among such humans, brethren, there will be no [such thoughts of reverence as are a bar to inter-marriage with] mother, or mother’s sister, or mother’s sister-in-law, or teacher’s wife, or father’s sister-in-law.

The world will fall into promiscuity, like goats and sheep, fowls and swine, dogs and jackals.

Among such humans, brethren, keen mutual enmity will become the rule, keen ill-will, keen animosity, passionate thoughts even of killing, in a mother towards her child, in a child towards its mother, in a father towards his child and a child towards its father, in brother to brother, in brother to sister, in sister to brother.

Just as a sportsman feels towards the game that he sees, so will they feel.

Among such humans, brethren, there will arise a sword-period of seven days, during which they will look on each other as wild beasts; sharp swords will appear ready to their hands, and they, thinking ‘This is a wild beast, this is a wild beast,’ will with their swords deprive each other of life.

https://legacy.suttacentral.net/en/dn26
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tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


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It turns out otherwise.
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retrofuturist
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Re: Incest (genetics)

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

Venerable Dhammanando and salayatananirodha have answered this question from the perspective of the Dhamma.

The question itself, however, as worded, is beyond the scope of this forum.

As per Nicholas' suggestion, please take it to Dhamma Wheel Engaged or another corner of the Internet.

Thank you.

Metta,
Paul. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
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