Can someone please explain to me how cousins work? First, second, third cousins? Removed cousins? Twice removed cousins?

Question

I tried to Google it but it got VERY confusing very fast, if anyone could dumb it down for me that would be great lol

In: Biology

Answer 1

Okay!

If person A and person B have the same grandfather, they are **first cousins**. Their parents were **siblings**.

If person A and person B have the same **great** grandfather, they are **second cousins**. Their parents were **first cousins**. Great great grandfather = third cousins, etc.

But what if person A and person B share a relative, but not at the same distance?

If person A’s grandfather is person B’s **great** grandfather, then they are first cousins, once removed. A is first cousins with B’s **father**. Which means that A’s **children** will then be second cousins with B, since they will be the same degree of removed from their common ancestor.