Ancient Italy: 3,700-Year-Old Bones Reveal Earliest Father-Daughter Incest Case

• 3,700-year-old bones from Grotta della Monaca, Calabria, Italy, reveal the earliest known father-daughter incest case.
• Genetic study published in Communications Biology found a young boy with unprecedented high homozygosity, indicating first-degree incest.
• The adult male buried nearby was identified as both the boy's father and grandfather, implying a father-daughter union.
• The Bronze Age community showed genetic diversity, making the incest finding socially complex and challenging previous assumptions.
• Researchers suggest the union might have been locally sanctioned, but caution that interpretations about coercion remain speculative.

Why It Matters: Genetic study in Italy uncovers 3,700-year-old father-daughter incest, challenging ancient social norms.