consanguinity

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consanguinity(adj.consanguineous) A genetic relationship in which individuals share at least one ancestor in the preceding few generations. Matings between related individuals may reveal deleterious recessive alleles. For example, first cousin marriages among humans account for about 18–24 per cent of albino children and 27–53 per cent of children with Tay–Sachs disease, both of which are rare recessive conditions.

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