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| Subject: Research: Human friendships supposedly based on genetic similarities Tue Jul 15, 2014 8:58 pm | |
| Friends often look alike. The tendency of people to forge friendships with people of a similar appearance has been noted since the time of Plato. But now there is research suggesting that, to a striking degree, we tend to pick friends who are genetically similar to us in ways that go beyond superficial features.
For example, you and your friends are likely to share certain genes associated with the sense of smell.
Our friends are as similar to us genetically as you'd expect fourth cousins to be, according to the study published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This means that the number of genetic markers shared by two friends is akin to what would be expected if they had the same great-great-great-grandparents.
"Your friends don't just resemble you superficially, they resemble you genetically," said Nicholas Christakis, a physician and social scientist at Yale University and a co-author of the study.
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/research-human-friendships-based-on-genetic-similarities-20140715-zt7po.html |
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