Comment on "An association between the kinship and fertility of human couples".
Helgason et al. (Reports, 8 February 2008, p. 813) reported a positive association between kinship and fertility in the Icelandic population. We point out that the data further suggest that fertility initially increases with kinship and then decays. This is supported by another large study on the Danish population suggesting a superposition of effects of inbreeding and outbreeding depression on human fertility.
Labouriau
Rodrigo
R
Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark. rodrigo.labouriau@agrsci.dk
Amorim
António
A
D003241:Consanguinity; D003718:Denmark; D005190:Family; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland; D008297:Male; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors