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Iceland is an isolated country, settled 1,200 years ago with little migration by other peoples since then. For years, researchers have a studied the genetic makeup of Icelanders--and to a lesser extent the Mormon population in Utah--because of the presence of “genetic homogeneity,” or minimal variation in the gene pool.
This lack of variation helps determine why a certain group or groups of people may be more susceptible to particular diseases than others. The degree of genetic homogeneity in Iceland has been questioned in recent years, and...