This article examines the relationship between migration and genetic disease in the situation of the Saguenay region of Quέbec. This large population shows an elevated incidence of several genetic diseases. The process of migration, which created the population, is thought to be a major factor in determining the genetic structure of the contemporary population. Preliminary results suggest that although consanguineous marriages are not and never were frequent in the population, socially, kinship was important in determining migration and persistence, leading to a high level of genetic homogeneity today.
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