Doomsday Scenario per Inbreeding

[Kiljaden]

The other inbreeding thread made me think about this. A common scenario proposed often relates to you and one other person [of the opposite sex] being the last two human survivors on the planet.

Ignoring for the moment that there's pretty much no way you could possibly have knowledge that you are indeed the final TWO on the planet, let's say you do have this knowledge.

Could you, and would you, procreate with this person for the purpose of continuing the human race, knowing that all of your descendants and the entire human race would become inbred, no doubt fostering significant deformaties and mental problems and considering how your descendants would deal with these issues in this barren unforgiving world.

I lean toward letting the human race die. It could be argued that in the long run, natural selection would obviously take its course and by whatever means weed out the deleterious alleles, and the eventual mutations would diversify the gene pool significantly. But keep in mind this would take a very very long time. The societal challenges this situation imposes upon even the first few dozen generations of your descendants must be considered in answering this question.

BEFORE you answer, watch this 7.5 minute video please.

NOAH's ARK AND THE CHEETAH


The link he mentions at the beginning: http://tinyurl.com/yw6gtr
DonExodus2's Channel for those that are interested. He does many superb videos explaining the specifics of Evolution. http://www.youtube.com/user/DonExodus2

[Lord Zhang Ku]

I just watched the video and sadly I would continue the human race. I just hope that eventually due to a certain Biological principle(I forget which) eventually a mutant gene will allow diversity once more.

[Kiljaden]

Sufficient genetic diversity would take many tens of thousands of years, evident by the Cheetah example. What happens in the meantime? >_< Also, there are about 120 mutations per human zygote and another 40 or so during our lifetime. Easily 99.999% of them are relatively neutral, harmless, and unnoticable.

[The Colonel]

I'd procreate for the hell of it, i'll leave it to my offspring to decide what to do. After I die, it aint my problem

[Thanatos]

I'd procreate for the hell of it, i'll leave it to my offspring to decide what to do. After I die, it aint my problem

How selfless of you.

[The Colonel]

How selfless of you.

Bah! you'd do the same thing! I KNOW u would just get laid get it over with!

[dwringer]

It seems that after you had a couple of generations of inbreds, the problems would actually start to reverse and natural selection would begin repairing the genome. As I've pointed out in a few other threads, recent studies indicate that third cousins are the optimal genetic match for productive copulation.

[Kiljaden]

It seems that after you had a couple of generations of inbreds, the problems would actually start to reverse and natural selection would begin repairing the genome. As I've pointed out in a few other threads, recent studies indicate that third cousins are the optimal genetic match for productive copulation.

True, however after multiple generations, 5-8, inbreeding really starts to take its toll on the genome. First generation inbreeding is actually fairly harmless when compared to large-scale inbreeding. Your third cousin is indeed okay to procreate with UNLESS you happen to share the same great grandparents with them, and your children would as well...

[dwringer]

That's a good point , I guess I hadn't considered just exactly how inbred everybody would be in such a situation


Nevertheless I wonder what the chances are of a viable population from just two progenitors. I'm guessing there have to be SOME odds of success, even if they are highly unlikely.

[Dayman]

I would.

While there would be deformities in the inbred, the ones that survive will pass on useful genes.

My sole biological purpose is to spread my genes, I don't think I would be able to not to.

[Thanatos]

I would.

While there would be deformities in the inbred, the ones that survive will pass on useful genes.

My sole biological purpose is to spread my genes, I don't think I would be able to not to.

Bah. You know you just want some action.

[Dayman]

Bah. You know you just want some action.

I'll have you know I have some pieces of ass for cousins.

[Thanatos]

I'll have you know I have some pieces of ass for cousins.

Your piece of ass for the cousins? Or you want theirs? Or both? Or they have nice asses?

I know, I know, it's the last one I mentioned, just playing around.

[Dayman]

Your piece of ass for the cousins? Or you want theirs? Or both? Or they have nice asses?

I know, I know, it's the last one I mentioned, just playing around.

If we lived in a lineage based society I'd so be getting laid. It wouldn't matter if it was paternal or maternal either.

[Kiljaden]

Good old WINcest

Getting laid and procreating are separate though mind you. You can bang the woman you're stuck with, but you don't necessarily have to have children as a result.

[dwringer]

Well since there's nobody around to object you could just kill the ones with negative traits and keep trying

[Zymran]

Well since there's nobody around to object you could just kill the ones with negative traits and keep trying

Using TW principles to solve the problem, I see...

[TM Is Back]

No i would not continue the human race, for when there are only 2 humans left, it is the end of times.

[Kiljaden]

LOL nice, only problem is there aren't any adoption requests >_<

[Mithradates]

I would.

Even if they become inbred with physical and mental problems they still remains (semi)sentient beings so they will not go back to animal level, they still will use fire, tools, make tents, form societies etc. too much knowledge which simply can not dissapear without a fight, not to mention even the simpliest humans are very resourceful, they will repopulate the planet in no time, big numbers = success.