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Gays Keep Nature In Balance?

Posted by Kelly Deerson

 

While many scientists have long theorized that homosexuality is caused by a mixture of nature and nurture, there has remained the question: if part of homosexuality is inherited, why hasn't its occurrence disappeared from the gene pool, considering gay people are less likely to reproduce?

Well, a new study has a pretty good guess.

Researchers at the University of Padova in Italy found that homosexuality in men could be partly influenced by the same genes that cause their female relatives to be super fertile.

This team of researchers in Italy found that the close female relatives of gay men are more fruitful than the average dame. This could be a prime example of sexually antagonistic selection, which basically means that one of the sexes in a family takes a reproductive hit, while the other sex reproduces like they're a member of the Spears family (do Brit and Jamie Lynn have a gay half-brother somewhere?).

This concept has been seen in deer where high-ranking males often produce reproductively unsuccessful daughters. So, when sharing these kinds of genes, one of the sexes gets to have lots of babies and the other doesn't but, in the end, the family tree gets just as many branches as the others in the woods.

Scientists are still having a hard time explaining all the particulars, and they obviously don't believe this to be the one and only answer to the question of homosexuality in men. Still, it's an interesting theory.

 

Via The Guardian  [image]


+ DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT
Posted Jul 01 2008, 10:47 AM
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Comments

Lukelightning said:

In my experience, homosexuality exists so that there is an uncle who can be stuck with babysitting nieces and nephews. And also to give the BEST birthday presents.

July 1, 2008 11:03 AM

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    • about the blogger

    Emily Farris writes about culture and food for numerous publications and websites you've probably never heard of, including her own blog eefers. Her first cookbook will be published in fall 2008. Emily lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with her cat, but just one . . . so far.

    Brian Fairbanks is a filmmaker living in the wilds of Brooklyn. He previously wrote for the Hartford Courant and Gawker. He won the Williamsburg Spelling Bee once. He loves cats, women with guns, and burning books.

    Nicole Pasulka is a Brooklyn writer and editor who's always on the lookout for the dirty. Her other virtual home is at The Morning News, where things are squeaky clean most of the time.

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