what is inbred family

An inbred family refers to a family in which closely related individuals, such as siblings or cousins, have children together. This can lead to a higher probability of genetic disorders and congenital defects in the offspring due to the increased likelihood of inheriting two copies of a harmful recessive allele. The Whittaker family from Egeria, West Virginia, is an example of an inbred family, reportedly starting with identical twin brothers whose children married and had more than a dozen children together. Inbreeding is the mating of organisms closely related by ancestry, which goes against the biological aim of mating, which is the shuffling of DNA. This practice has been historically used to retain traits within a bloodline and to maintain power in hereditary systems of rule. Inbreeding in humans and animals has been used to control outcomes and maintain certain genetic traits.