On the Adaptive Origins and Maladaptive Consequences of Human Inbreeding: Parasite Prevalence, Immune Functioning, and Consanguineous Marriage
We propose that consanguineous marriages arise adaptively in response to high parasite prevalence and function to maintain coadapted gene complexes and associated local adaptation that defend against local pathogens. Therefore, a greater prevalence of inbreeding by consanguineous marriage is expecte...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2010-10-01
|
| Series: | Evolutionary Psychology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491000800408 |
| _version_ | 1827347677802659840 |
|---|---|
| author | Ashley D. Hoben Abraham P. Buunk Corey L. Fincher Randy Thornhill Mark Schaller |
| author_facet | Ashley D. Hoben Abraham P. Buunk Corey L. Fincher Randy Thornhill Mark Schaller |
| author_sort | Ashley D. Hoben |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We propose that consanguineous marriages arise adaptively in response to high parasite prevalence and function to maintain coadapted gene complexes and associated local adaptation that defend against local pathogens. Therefore, a greater prevalence of inbreeding by consanguineous marriage is expected in geographical regions that historically have had high levels of disease-causing parasites. Eventually such marriages may, under the contemporary high movement of people with modern transportation, jeopardize the immunity of those who practice inbreeding as this leads to an increased susceptibility to novel pathogens. Therefore, a greater frequency of inbreeding is expected to predict higher levels of contemporary mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases. This parasite model of human inbreeding was supported by an analysis involving 72 countries worldwide. We found that historically high levels of pathogen prevalence were related positively to the proportion of consanguineous marriages, and that a higher prevalence of such marriages was associated with higher contemporary mortality and morbidity due to pathogens. Our study addresses plausible alternative explanations. The results suggest that consanguineous marriage is an adaptive consequence of historical pathogen ecologies, but is maladaptive in contemporary disease ecologies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:54:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f2cd5fc59f5e4f7196b93b2497ea458f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1474-7049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:54:29Z |
| publishDate | 2010-10-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Evolutionary Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f2cd5fc59f5e4f7196b93b2497ea458f2024-02-18T13:04:40ZengSAGE PublishingEvolutionary Psychology1474-70492010-10-01810.1177/14747049100080040810.1177_147470491000800408On the Adaptive Origins and Maladaptive Consequences of Human Inbreeding: Parasite Prevalence, Immune Functioning, and Consanguineous MarriageAshley D. HobenAbraham P. BuunkCorey L. FincherRandy ThornhillMark SchallerWe propose that consanguineous marriages arise adaptively in response to high parasite prevalence and function to maintain coadapted gene complexes and associated local adaptation that defend against local pathogens. Therefore, a greater prevalence of inbreeding by consanguineous marriage is expected in geographical regions that historically have had high levels of disease-causing parasites. Eventually such marriages may, under the contemporary high movement of people with modern transportation, jeopardize the immunity of those who practice inbreeding as this leads to an increased susceptibility to novel pathogens. Therefore, a greater frequency of inbreeding is expected to predict higher levels of contemporary mortality and morbidity from infectious diseases. This parasite model of human inbreeding was supported by an analysis involving 72 countries worldwide. We found that historically high levels of pathogen prevalence were related positively to the proportion of consanguineous marriages, and that a higher prevalence of such marriages was associated with higher contemporary mortality and morbidity due to pathogens. Our study addresses plausible alternative explanations. The results suggest that consanguineous marriage is an adaptive consequence of historical pathogen ecologies, but is maladaptive in contemporary disease ecologies.https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491000800408 |
| spellingShingle | Ashley D. Hoben Abraham P. Buunk Corey L. Fincher Randy Thornhill Mark Schaller On the Adaptive Origins and Maladaptive Consequences of Human Inbreeding: Parasite Prevalence, Immune Functioning, and Consanguineous Marriage Evolutionary Psychology |
| title | On the Adaptive Origins and Maladaptive Consequences of Human Inbreeding: Parasite Prevalence, Immune Functioning, and Consanguineous Marriage |
| title_full | On the Adaptive Origins and Maladaptive Consequences of Human Inbreeding: Parasite Prevalence, Immune Functioning, and Consanguineous Marriage |
| title_fullStr | On the Adaptive Origins and Maladaptive Consequences of Human Inbreeding: Parasite Prevalence, Immune Functioning, and Consanguineous Marriage |
| title_full_unstemmed | On the Adaptive Origins and Maladaptive Consequences of Human Inbreeding: Parasite Prevalence, Immune Functioning, and Consanguineous Marriage |
| title_short | On the Adaptive Origins and Maladaptive Consequences of Human Inbreeding: Parasite Prevalence, Immune Functioning, and Consanguineous Marriage |
| title_sort | on the adaptive origins and maladaptive consequences of human inbreeding parasite prevalence immune functioning and consanguineous marriage |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/147470491000800408 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ashleydhoben ontheadaptiveoriginsandmaladaptiveconsequencesofhumaninbreedingparasiteprevalenceimmunefunctioningandconsanguineousmarriage AT abrahampbuunk ontheadaptiveoriginsandmaladaptiveconsequencesofhumaninbreedingparasiteprevalenceimmunefunctioningandconsanguineousmarriage AT coreylfincher ontheadaptiveoriginsandmaladaptiveconsequencesofhumaninbreedingparasiteprevalenceimmunefunctioningandconsanguineousmarriage AT randythornhill ontheadaptiveoriginsandmaladaptiveconsequencesofhumaninbreedingparasiteprevalenceimmunefunctioningandconsanguineousmarriage AT markschaller ontheadaptiveoriginsandmaladaptiveconsequencesofhumaninbreedingparasiteprevalenceimmunefunctioningandconsanguineousmarriage |