What are 4th Cousin Matches on Ancestry DNA?

A woman seeks to know the risks of dating —and the risk of having offspring with—a relative. I want to date a fourth cousin of mine. Is that wrong? We do not plan to have any children together, but if we did, would there be a risk of passing along a genetic defect or disorder? Your question is a surprisingly common one received by genealogy researchers, not only for dating but also for marriage.

ok dont say “family reunions would be awkward” since fourth cousin is so distant that they wouldnt be included in the same family reunions (a fourth cousin is so.

Couples who are third or fourth cousins tend to have more kids and grandkids than other couples. And though considered somewhat of a cultural taboo, mating between “kissing cousins” makes good biological sense, say scientists. The findings, which come from a recent study of Icelanders, shed light on how relatedness affects reproduction and ultimately the size of families. The researchers suggest marrying third and fourth cousins is so optimal for reproduction because they sort of have the “best of both worlds.

The study also has implications for population growth in a world that’s becoming more and more urbanized. In Iceland, the dramatic demographic shift from a rural society to a highly urbanized one could slow population growth as individuals mingle with a bigger pool of distantly related mates and therefore have fewer kids.

A similar urban shift is happening across the globe.