Do animals have any concept of incest?

Question

i guess i'm referring to land mammals....well any animal really, do they have any concept of incest? do they know better than to mate with their brother/sister?

AND do the offspring of incestuous animals suffer from the same defects humans do?

Answer 1

Actually, no they don't. Their entire motivation is based on pure instinct. Incestuous behavior is a moral boundary created by man and has much to do with religious conviction. The suggestion that in-breeding creates monsters is largely a myth designed to inhibit philandering. With animal breeding, defects often arise within third generation offspring. Signs include white patches at the throat and fore paws. Human defects arise at all points. Usually during college.

Answer 2

No animals do not have the concept of incest , it's a human thing and in a few Western European countries it's not even a criminal offence anymore (e.g. Belgium, The Netherlands, France)

Not all human children born of an incestuous relationship will have congenital defects.

Answer 3

Well... kind of.

While a male and female animal in an enclosed space will mate even if they are siblings, they would prefer not to.

In the wild, the females tend to have small home ranges near their mother's territory. The males tend to wander away, and have large territories overlapping many females.

Animals raised in the same litter (if one was adopted), even though they may not be related, tend to avoid each other when they reach sexual maturity.

AND just like in humans, incestuous relationships will not have genetic defects if done sparingly, but in a closed system, where there is a lot of inbreeding, they will occur.

Answer 4

No, of course they have no "concept" of incest, since we humans are the only beings having a concept of morals and ethics. However, this said, animals usually avoid breeding with their litter-mates and other close relatives out of instinct in order to ensure fresh genes entering the gene pool, which will keep the population genetically healthy.

Answer 5

Incest is human concept. The incest taboo is common in most human societies and it is not there to prevent inbreeding but to force people to marry outside the clan or moiety. This leads to fewer squabbles and wars and better relations with neighbours. Religions have taken over marriage to a great extent but it is first and foremost a political union rather than a religious one.

Answer 6

nicely, yeah! they're in basic terms canines. they don't comprehend to any extent further useful. canines can not examine The Bible!!!! it extremely is have been given to be between the main unearthly questions i've got ever seen . . . yet i'm going to admit that I laughed (in basic terms slightly)!