Members of the Hutterite community play with Raghad (left) and Ali. © UNHCR/Annie Sakkab

Jacob Hutter, who lived in the Austrian province of Tyrol in the 1500s, was the radical left wing leader who rallied for the creation of the Hutterite community, and became the Hutterite movement’s figurehead.

The researchers looked at blood samples from 30 kids from ages 7 and 14 from the Amish community, and 30 kids of the same age range from the Hutterite community.

At the turn of the 20th Century, the Hutterite community of North America – which is, incidentally, highly inbred – achieved the highest levels of population growth ever recorded, doubling every 17 years.

The Hutterite community of North America at the turn of the 20th century achieved the highest levels of population growth ever recorded, doubling every 17 years.