Genomic Compatibility???

    Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder concluded that most people in their study of non-Hispanic white Americans were attracted to things they found in themselves, body type, age, race, income, and education to name a few. This isn’t a surprise to many of us as having a similar lifestyle in a relationship is usually ideal. They also found that after studying many genomes from an array of individuals in their study, those who had similarities in their genomic makeup were more likely to be attracted to each other. These researchers also begged the question of expanding the study to interracial couples and seeing if they could find genomic compatibility between couples from different backgrounds. This is an extremely interesting idea, similar to that of my previous post. If we can find certain genetic markers that are attracted to each other then scientists could potentially be creating “perfect matches.” Although I still think the idea of a perfect match is a little far-fetched for the time being. This type of matching could very well be something to look for in the year to come.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140519160716.htm

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/the-illusion-of-genetic-romance/

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/the-new-science-of-matchmaking-091614

There is No Specific Gene for Homosexuality

A huge study was done to determine if there was a gene of sequence of genes that accounted for sexual behavior, specifically the preference of some individuals. The study was done to either prove of disprove that a single gene can alter someone's sexual preference so much that they completely change their preference. In the study, they polled nearly half a million people, becoming one of the largest studies of its time and toppling other past studies. Scientists took the DNA of people and studied the single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) based on their sexual preference and what their history was. This meaning, if they have had all same-sex or all opposite-sex partners in their lifetime. The study found that there is no direct affect from genes to attraction. There may be indirect causes such as alter scent receptors, but nothing that directly correlates to sexual behavior. Out of all the SNPs studied, less than 1% had a direct association with same-sex attraction.


I agree with the article in the case that it's not just genes that determine attraction. There is obviously some sort of environmental factor that comes into play when determining attraction. This study is important because it shows that attraction is not one straight forward thing that can be simply altered by a gene. Rather it is a complex mechanism within the human body that is influenced by a number of internal and external sources. I think this article carries a lot of weight politically. This can help people to understand that attraction is not so easily explained or manipulated.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/no-evidence-that-gay-gene-exists
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/massive-study-finds-no-single-genetic-cause-of-same-sex-sexual-behavior/

Studies Show Correlation Between Infidelity and Genes

Marital infidelity is an issue we are all familiar with and often it is just sees as a poor life decision. In recent studies, researchers have found that some people are more inclined to cheat than others due to mutations in certain receptor genes. It has long been believed that men cheat because they can increase their chances of having more offspring. While this evolution theory may hold some relevance, more evidence seems to point to variations of the vasopressin receptor gene.

Vasopressin and oxytocin are both hormones that play a role in sexual bonding and attraction. When a study was carried out recently with 7,400 Finnish twins and their siblings surprising results were found. Out of the people in the study who had cheated, links between promiscuous behavior and vasopressin were only found in women. Dr. Zietsch, the psychologist who was in charge of the study, stated that there are many circumstances that contribute to infidelity but about 40% could be linked back to genetics. In a different study, relations between oxytocin receptor genes and marial infidelity were found in women and men had links between vasopressin receptor genes and marital discord.

Studies have not only been done on humans, but also animals to help prove this theory. For example, the difference between the sexual behavior in montane voles and prairie voles is due to where the vasopressin receptor genes are located in their brains. The receptors for prairie voles are located in proximity to the brain's reward center causing them to remain in monogamous relationship. Where as in montane voles the receptors are found in the region associated with anxiety and fear causing no attachment to be formed to their partners. Experiments showed that it was possible to make a montane  male vole act monogamously by increasing the number of vasopressin receptors in the brain's reward center. The same goes for female voles except by increasing oxytocin receptors instead of vasopressin.

Although, the studies prove that infidelity may be caused due to certain hormones it is still a choice. The article even states, "Correlation is not the same as causation; there are undoubtedly many unmeasured factors that contribute to infidelity." From this it can be concluded that some people are more wired to cheat, but this does not mean they can use it as an excuse.

Attraction and Our Genes

“Opposites attract” is a common phrase applied to the realm of dating, however, our genes may dictate the contrary. Several universities conducted a joint analysis of mating patterns and found that individuals have a tendency to have partners with similar DNA. This is called assortative mating. The similar genetic ancestry is a stronger factor that socioeconomic status or educational levels when choosing a mate. The genetic ancestry was so similar that the average couple shared the genetic equivalence of third or fourth cousins.

            One could argue that assortative mating is common because individuals are ethnically or racially similar tend to live in the same population. It is obvious that we have some conscious control over who we choose to date. Some are more selective than others. Some show a similar trend while others don’t. Ultimately, it’s neither solely by choice or genetic predisposition, but a comprehensive spectrum.

http://news.discovery.com/human/genetics/attraction-guided-by-our-genes-151019.htm

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-05/esoh-oa052109.php

Genes Determine the People You're Attracted to

According to a study by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, a person tends to be attracted to people with similar DNA, specifically with specific genetic ancestry. The phenomenon known as assortative mating suggests a similar theory. According to the study, people typically select mates based on genetic ancestry, outweighing "other socioeconomic factors, such as education levels, which itself has shown to be a powerful predictor of attraction in previous research". The study further concluded that mates were often, on average, the "genetic equivalent of between third and fourth cousins". The specific statistics and collected data pool can be seen in the recent release of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In 2014, a study was conducted by the University of Colorado, Boulder, in which single-nucleotide polymorphisms were examined among a population. To their surprise, "married individuals were like to be more genetically similar than two individuals randomly selected from the same population". Lots of evidence from multiple studies around the country have confirmed that genetics play a large role in the selection of a mate.

I find this article interesting because I had always assumed that attraction was completely psychological. I hadn't imagined that genetics could be a factor in attraction to others. It is an interesting discovery that I believe needs further scientific investigation, but nonetheless is very interesting and likely an evolutionary adaptation.