How many cousins?

[Merritt Mullen]

Since first cousins are those who share one set of same grandparents, it
really comes down to knowing the average number of children (who had
offspring of their own) for each generation. If the average number of
children in my grandparents' generation was 3, and the average number of
children in my parents' generation was 2, then there should be an
average of 6 persons in my generation who share one set of grandparents.
This number goes up fast when you get to second cousins (who share a
set of great-grandparents). Assuming the average number of procreating
offspring in my great-grandfathers' generation was 4, then the average
number of second cousins in my generation would be 4x3x2 = 24 (but six
of those would actually be the first cousins). I'm sure there are other
factors that I have not considered, but that would be a rough
calculation. Of course, eventually you find out that we are all cousins
to some degree.

Merritt

Ehutchison wrote:
>
> Ignoring the very real phenomena of pedigree collapse (which usually becomes a
> factor only when calculating the number of distant ancestors), it remains a
> fairly simple matter to determine that each of us has four grandparents, eight
> great-grandparents, 16 great-grandparents, and so on.
>
> Naturally, no such simple mathematical progression will tell exactly how many
> first, second, or third cousins, each of us will have. Still, it seems likely
> that someone has carried out some research that may have determined the average
> number of people who have this relationship.
>
> I am sure that the number must vary from generation to generation as cultural
> factors cause the family size to change. For example, in my grandfather's
> generation, it was very common for a couple to have many children--especially
> if, like most people of that era, the family lived in a rural area. Clearly,
> people then averaged many more first, second, and third cousins than we do
> today--when the modal number of children in the American family is zero.
>
> So...can anyone point me toward an article or a study that would answer these
> questions?
>
> Edward Hutchison
> Jackson, MS
>
> Psychotherapist, professor, poker player, and the author of numerous,
> mostly unread, books on mentalism, hypnosis, magic, and genealogy.
> See my Home Page: http://members.aol.com/Ehutchison/index.html

[Ehutchison]

[Dot Roots]

In my Dad's side of our family there are 52 first cousins. In my
Mother's side there are 9. My parents had 4 children,16 grandchildren
and so far 5 greatgrandchildren
Great Aunt Dorothy :o)

Ehutchison <ehutc...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19990523220144...@ng-ch1.aol.com...