Cousins are like the perfect blend of best friends and siblings. A fixture at family celebrations, holidays, special events, and important milestones, these relatives are an integral part of a child's upbringing. Kids who are lucky enough to grow up with these special relatives nearby will forever enjoy the the kinship and loyalty of having friends who are actual family. Here are some intriguing facts about cousins to share next time the entire gang is gathered around.
National Cousins Day
Kids may understand where they fit into the family tree, but there is so much more to learn about genetics, culture , and historical perspective on these relations. In fact, there is even a national holiday for the purpose of recognizing this special relationship. July 24th is the official National Cousins Day, so plan a party and invite all your cousins over to celebrate! This holiday falls at the perfect time of year on the National Holiday Calendar, since it is a great month to plan extended family gatherings and vacations. No one really knows who declared this particular date the one to celebrate since cousins never need an excuse to get together. Be sure to hand outsome of the best children's books about cousins to your story time or consider giving them as gifts to all the little relatives in your family who share this special connection.
Where It Is Legal for Cousins to Marry
Marrying first cousins is illegal in half of the US states.
While it may seem almost as bad as marrying a sibling, the laws across all states do not universally prohibit the union of first cousins. A total of 19 states allow first cousins to get married, 24 strictly prohibit it, and 7 permit first cousin marriage in certain circumstances.
States allowing marriage of first cousins have stipulations.
For instance, Indiana, Arizona, Utah, Wisconsin, and Illinois will only permit first cousin marriage if the woman is of a certain age or cannot have children of her own. In Maine, a judge will allow first cousins to marry only with proof from a genetic counselor indicating they are not at risk for passing along birth defects. The children of first cousins have greater likelihood of being born with a birth defect compared to offspring of unrelated individuals. Estimates put the risk at 2-3% higher due to autosomal recessive disorders that are more likely to be passed on to babies due to shared DNA.
It is illegal for first cousins to marry in certain states.
These states actually consider it a criminal offense. So, if you want to marry a cousin, definitely do not move to Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, or Oklahoma.
10% of marriages worldwide are between first and second cousins.
This number translates into about 750 million cousins around the globe who are married to each other. There are some countries where these marriages are supported and even encouraged within various cultures. Pakistan, for instance, is a country in which almost half of all marriages are between close relatives. Many Arab countries also support relational unions due to the acceptance by those who live by Islam.
Third cousins who start families experience higher rates of fertility.
It is perfectly legal for third cousins to marry, and in some cases, an argument can be made that they are ideal genetic matches. These individuals share great-great grandparents, so while distantly related, there is no inherent risk associated with reproducing together. In fact, studies have shown that cousins who are couples are genetically compatible and have a greater chance of producing healthy offspring than parents who are completely unrelated.
Shared DNA Among Cousins
First cousins share 12.5% of their DNA.
Keep in mind that this is not an exact percentage, since the range of shared DNA is 4 to 23%. Once the discussion moves to cousins removed, the shared DNA wanes quite a bit. For instance, a first cousin once removed shares about 6.25%, with a range of 3.3 - 8.5%. Second cousins share about 3.1%, with their range falling from 2.85 - 5%. For comparison purposes, siblings share about 50% of their DNA.
The blood relationship between cousins is less than half siblings.
Half siblings share about 25% of DNA while first cousins have 12.5% shared DNA qualities. In terms of qualifying the genetic relationship, some assessments put half siblings and cousins in the same bucket. Cousins share the same grandparents, but have no overlapping mother or father, while half siblings share one parent. For this reason, their DNA is more similar.
The risk of a birth defect doubles between first cousins.
According to the CDC, approximately 3% (or 1 out of every 3 babies) is born with some sort of birth defect, ranging from mild to serious. Some of these issues don't require much attention while others are life-altering for both parent and child, requiring lifelong support services. Birth defects in offspring of first cousins ranges from 4-7%, a number that is not terribly alarming, but still higher than the general population.
Types of Cousins
Cousins are relatives who share common ancestors.
Cousin is a term that simply means related in some way. People are considered cousins if they have different parents but share another common ancestor. There are first, second, and third cousins. There are also cousins removed once, twice, and even three times that appear on the family tree. In fact, the term is widely used outside of even describing the relationship between people. For instance, the word "cousin" is a fun way to describe objects that are distantly related First cousins, second cousins, and cousins once removed are just some of the ways to define the relationships. However, there is another, less well-known version called double cousins. If two brothers marry two sisters, their offspring are considered double first cousins! This may seem like an obvious concept to cover, but with so many types of cousins, it's good to define the most closely related. In doing so, the rest of the family tree starts to make sense. By definition, a person's first cousin is the child of an aunt or uncle. Most kids understand this concept, but confusion often arises around second cousins. So, in simplest terms, a second cousin is the child of a parent's first cousin. A comprehensive genome study of the population known as the Ashkenazi Jews led researchers to conclude that all members are at least 30th cousins. Scientists compared the DNA of this group with non-Jewish European descendants when trying to uncover more information about the founding individuals. They determined that about 350 people were part of the original group more than 800 years ago, since spreading out to various countries across Europe. Picture Books Celebrating FamilyThere are many different cousin relationships.
First cousins are the offspring of siblings.
All Europeans of Jewish descent are distant cousins.
