DNA similarity usual between spouses

A study has shown that in addition to various instances of similarity between spouses, husbands and wives also tend to be genetically similar.

The researchers said their study had shown that genetic resemblance could also be added to the number of factors usually found common between spouses, namely backgrounds, characteristics, and education.

The study examined the genetic blueprints of 825 married US couples and found a significant preference for a spouse with DNA similarities across the entire human genome.

Chiming in with the results of the research is the well-established and strong tendency of people to marry those with similar educational levels.

“We do know in some sense that people prefer genetically similar spouses because we know that people tend to date and marry within their own racial and ethnic groups. We worked really hard in this study to not just replicate that fact,” said researcher Benjamin Domingue of the University of Colorado’s Institute of Behavioral Science, who led the study.

“We eliminated racial variability and tried to control for ethnic variability. And we still find a preference for genetically similar individuals,” Domingue added.

“…people clearly care about height in picking partners. To the extent that tall people marry other tall people, that is going to result in genetic similarity among spouses. But it is difficult to know whether height or genes is driving this decision.”