Commentary: The background and outcomes of the first-cousin marriage controversy in Great Britain

Document Type

Journal Article

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Faculty

Faculty of Computing, Health and Science

School

School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Science

RAS ID

9079

Comments

Bittles, A. H. (2009). Commentary: The background and outcomes of the first-cousin marriage controversy in Great Britain. International journal of epidemiology, 38(6), 1453-1458. Available here

Abstract

The article discusses the background and outcomes of the controversy on consanguineous marriage in Great Britain. It notes that during the early years of Christianity, uncle-nice and half-sibling marriages were permissible in Athens and Sparta, but in Rome, there was a strong disapproval on first-cousin marriage. The author states that a study conducted by mathematician George Darwin, the son of naturalist Charles Darwin, suggests that the fears with regard to the ill-effects of first-cousin marriage were exaggerated.

Additional Information

The article discusses the background and outcomes of the controversy on consanguineous marriage in Great Britain. It notes that during the early years of Christianity, uncle-nice and half-sibling marriages were permissible in Athens and Sparta, but in Rome, there was a strong disapproval on first-cousin marriage. The author states that a study conducted by mathematician George Darwin, the son of naturalist Charles Darwin, suggests that the fears with regard to the ill-effects of first-cousin marriage were exaggerated.

DOI

10.1093/ije/dyp313

Access Rights

free_to_read

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Link to publisher version (DOI)

10.1093/ije/dyp313