SHALLOW GENE POOLS: THE MOST INBRED PEOPLE OF ALL TIME

These are some of the most inbred people of all time... because 'kissing cousins' has been going on for thousands of years.

It's easy to walk into a store and suggest to your friend that other shoppers should stop breeding with their cousins. The truth about inbreeding, however, is steeped in history. Here is a brief look at a few of the most inbred people of all time.

For most of us, taking a liking to a close family member is frowned upon. For some, though, it happens for specific reasons. For instance, what if you happen to be part of a family that carries a particular gene that turns your skin blue? Suddenly, you're shunned by the general public and end up living in solitude in the mountains for generations. Who else are you going to marry and breed with?

Fortunately, for the Blue Fugates of Kentucky, by the 1960s, science had developed to the point that doctors could locate the issue. It had to do with their blood. Instead of the usual haemoglobin, which gives your blood its red colour, they had a non-functional blue version called methemoglobin. Ironically, the solution to their problem was to add methylene blue dye, reversing the faulty blood cells and turning them red again.

For others, unfortunately, it was all self-induced. The Habsburgs of Europe, a family who ruled over the Roman Empire until the early 20th century, is a good example of incest. According to YouTuber, Joe Scott, "One segment of the Habsburgs in Spain, known as the Spanish Habsburgs, participated in incest and inbreeding for so long that they developed The Habsburg Jaw – a genetic deformity that got so bad that many could barely speak. It was Charles II of Spain that finally put an end to this practice because he was so inbred that he couldn't reproduce."

They weren't the first or only royals to practice inbreeding to stay at the head of an empire. Scientists who have documented the ancient Egyptians have also proven that the pharaohs did the same for over a thousand years. 

They were considered living gods and, thus, a mere mortal could not touch them without feeling the wrath of the gods. The solution? Well, just marry and mate with each other. As Joe says, "By the time King Tutankhamen was born, their lineage was so ruined that he had multiple genetic deformities and died at only 18."

To find out more about these and others, check out Joe Scott's video titled, The Most Inbred People Of All Time, below.