Jewish Genetic Diseases

[ivory bill]

Along with purported high IQ scores Ashkenazi inbreeding has brought about undesireable side-effects including several unpleasant forms of retardation.

Article:
http://www.mazornet.com/genetics/index.htm

Bloom's Syndrome:

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/Molbio/MolStudents/spring2003/Baxter/BLM.gif

[Lily]

Interesting site. :p

[Warka]

More here: http://wsi.matriots.com/jewish_inbreeding.html

[Mynydd Auténtico]

More here: http://wsi.matriots.com/jewish_inbreeding.html

Thanks for the link, interesting site.

[President Barbicane]

The really interesting question is: Why are there so many Jewish genetic diseases? Some people have said it is due to a genetic bottleneck, but there was a pretty famous paper released by Greg Cochran and others that said it was due to heterozygous advantage and selection for intelligence.
The heterozygous advantage paper, while interesting, lacked any real empirical support. A good way to empirically test the theory would be to look for selection signals around the genes responsible for those genetic diseases. If there are signals that they've been positively selected, then heterozygous advantage exists for those genes. If there are no selection signals, the heterozygous advantage theory would have to be discarded, and the genetic bottleneck theory is the most credible alternative scenario.
Keep in mind that heterozygous advantage and a genetic bottleneck are not mutually exclusive; i.e. they could both be true. That means even if there are selection signals for the genes which cause genetic diseases, there may still a genetic bottleneck in Jewish history.

[Omniel]

http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/Molbio/MolStudents/spring2003/Baxter/BLM.gif
Well there's a thing. I worked in the same office as a Jewish guy who had exactly these features, including the high-pitched voice and weird skin (although it wasn't anywhere near as red and just appeared mottled and blotchy -more like the picture below). He also seemed to have trouble breathing. I just thought he was extremely ugly in a 'Jewish' way and had serious hygiene issues. Poor bugger.

http://www.ispub.com/xml/journals/ija/vol11n2/bloom-fig2.jpg

[Isra'il Yahya]

There is also a likelihood of mental illness that comes along with the abnormally high concentration of IQs in the Jewish ethnic group. Neuroticism is also higher, but that is also more widespread as our society descends into information madness. Tay-Sachs, however, is not a specifically Jewish disease but is much more common amongst Jews. Anyone of Mediterranean origin can inherit Tay-Sachs, it is just more likely to happen if you are Jewish.

[Isra'il Yahya]

These two words contradict each other.

Tay-Sachs has been found among French, Spanish, Greek, Italian and others, but not at the frequency found in Jewish populations.