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This genetic combination that produces inbreeding can cause different disorders and defects. Some of the most common are:
- Lower fertility.
- Lower birth rate.
- Higher infant mortality.
- Decrease in the size of the adult individual.
- Reduced immune response.
- Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Increased facial asymmetry.
- Increased risk of genetic problems.
- Diseases such as blindness, schizophrenia, malformations, neonatal diabetes and congenital heart disease.
Other negative effects of inbreeding
Genetic diversity is important for the existence and survival of a species in its surrounding environment. It not only helps said species to cope with and adapt to environmental changes, but also allows it to have greater biological fitness. Biological fitness is the ability to reproduce with the transfer of the right proportion of genes to its offspring.
In inbreeding, the fitness of an individual is reduced and this negative characteristic (reduced fitness) can be transmitted, in turn, to new generations.
Positive aspects of inbreeding
Although there are not many studies on inbreeding in humans, it has been published that marriages between distant relatives tend to give rise to more children than couples who are not related in any way. However, this data has not been contrasted, nor has it been complemented with other studies on the biological aptitude of the resulting populations.
Another benefit of inbreeding can be seen in the selective breeding of animals. Crossbreeding is carried out between animals that have the same genetic characteristics to preserve certain traits or the purity of the breed.
However, in nature animals avoid inbreeding. Still, there are exceptions, such as the mongoose, which mates with its siblings or father. Also the fruit fly, which usually reproduces with its brothers.
Bibliography
- Lisker, R.; Grether González, P.; Zentella Dehesa, A. Introduction to human genetics. (2014, 3rd edition). Spain. Editorial The modern manual.
- Chandar, N.; Viselli, SM Molecular and Cellular Biology. (2018, 2nd edition). Spain. LWW.
- Fester Kratz, R.; Rae Siegfried, D. Biology for Dummies . (2014). Spain. For dummies.
