Who is the closer relative: a 4th cousin 6 times removed or a 6th cousin 4 times removed?

Trick question. Nobody who has been in Utah for more than a generation is that distantly related.

Do the math: each generation of cousins shares twice as many common ancestors as the previou generation. And eacn generation "removed" also doubles the number of common ancestors.

Quick answer: they are the same.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/2022 10:46PM by RPackham.

Doesn't polygamy mess up the math?

bradley Wrote:
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> Doesn't polygamy mess up the math?

Yes. My answer was assuming that there was no kind of marriage except between people who were otherwise unrelated. When cousins marry, or when children are "half-" whatever (as in the case of polygamy, each instance will halve the degree of distance. But that should not make a difference between sixth cousins four time removed and fourth cousins six times removed, if talking about the same families.

I was kidding. But relationships between cousins are already weird in some Mormon communities. I don't know why genetic diversity isn't part of the Word of Wisdom.

bradley Wrote:
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> I don't know why genetic diversity isn't part of the
> Word of Wisdom.

Joseph Smith died before Gregor Mendel did his thing. :)

I thought of doing the math but figured someone here would know.