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 amongst humans account for about 18–24% of albino children and 27–53% of children with Tay-Sachs disease, both of which are rare recessive conditions.

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