October 14, 2010
Nice guys finish first when you ask nice girls “Who should finish first?”

So this is one of those I-haven’t-seen-the-paper-yet-just-the-pop-sci-summary but

[Researchers] then asked [MZ and DZ twins] if they would find the same [altruistic] qualities desirable in potential mates.

Statistical analysis of their responses suggested that, in our evolutionary past, those with a stronger mate preference towards altruistic behaviour mated more frequently with more altruistic people.

That means that altruistic genes would be more prevalent than selfish genes.

This could be true only if couples who breed assortatively for high altruism have greater reproductive success than other types of couples, which is a pretty big leap (neverminding potential disconnects between stated preferences and actual mating behavior).

A genetic correlation between preferences and altruistic behavior is potentially interesting if the trait is neutral, as in this case assortative mating can increase the heritability of a trait (Lande 1977).

PS The target article is Phillips, Ferguson and Rijsdijk (in the press) A link between altruism and sexual selection: Genetic influence on altruistic behaviour and mate preference towards it. British Journal of Psychology.

(Source: telegraph.co.uk)

5:23pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/Z23PQy1EJVCH
(Notes: 3)
  
Filed under: evolution mating twins two column 
August 7, 2010
Spousal convergence does not explain spousal similarity

Humbad et al. Is spousal similarity for personality a matter of convergence or selection? Personality and Individual Differences. 2010. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2010.07.010

9:20pm  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/Z23PQysnYnn
Filed under: mating