They're headlining rare genetic mutation deseases in the Amish community. Over 100,000+ Amish have decended from roughly 1000 German and Sweedish settelers... so many modern couples are actually distantly related. (One woman who left the Amish life style to raise her sick children better found she was related to her now ex husband) Their children have crippiling physical and mental problems. Think this is something that will eventually lead to the extinction of the Amish people?


(Try and keep this serious, folks. )

 

im gonna have to watch this tonight.. interesting.

 

Here's the link.. it's the top story.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_vi...googlecampaign

 

On second thought... maybe it wouldn't wipe them out.. but lead to allowing more modern amenities.. Unless the higher ups won't stand for it.
Some of the more serious cases have allowed for solar powered panels to be installed... so these children could have life support devices hooked up.

 

wow so to some degree the amish have been inbreeding?

 

does it come as a suprise? i dunno the stats on this.. but if they've been breeding within their own for the last X amount of years.. its bound to happen.. and im sure its been happening for a long time.

sean

 

In a sense.. not directly as in brother and sister.. but.. distant cousins. Still.. it's the same blood line.. just very diluted.. but the gene that has this mutation is still present. So.. since you have two parents with the same mutated gene.. it would be prominent in their offspring. But, should they have children with someone who doesn't carry the mutated gene.. the mutation would stay dorment.

 

well i would think that they possibly started off with normal breeding, but since the genetic pool is pretty much isolated, its bound that succeeding generations will eventually have genetic simliarities with each other. But it hasn't gone full circle yet.

 

True.. Another option.. if evolution is fast enough... perhaps they will develop a gene that counteracts this mutation. But maybe that only happens if a species is endangered. idk.. I only know so much about genetics

 

Well living here in Lancaster County you hear of alot of diseases and problems within in the Amish communities due to inbreeding and like you are watching distant relatives who you are now married too again.

Although the Amish population is moving out of Lancaster more and more.