Nature Sub-Journal: Gene patterns provide clues to the evolution of homosexuality

To evolutionary biologists, the genetics of homosexuality seems to be a paradox

In a study of data from thousands of people, researchers have now identified genetic patterns that may be related to homosexual behavior and have shown how these genetic patterns can help people find heterosexual partners and reproduce offspring

There is no "homosexual gene": a lot of research is based on the genetic basis of human sexual behavior

Brendan Zietsch, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and his colleagues used data from the British Biobank, the National Longitudinal Study of Youth to Adult Health in the United States, and 23andMe in Sunnyvale, California.

In early studies, researchers found that people with at least one same-sex partner tend to share patterns of small genetic differences scattered throughout the genome

Next, the researchers used computer algorithms to simulate human evolution over 60 generations

Overlapping genes

Zietsch and his team decided to test whether these genetic patterns can provide an evolutionary advantage by increasing the number of a person's sexual partners

Researchers also found that people who have had same-sex sexual encounters share genetic markers with those who claim to be adventurous and willing to accept new experiences

Students with gender minorities are more likely to give up science majors 

The author acknowledges that this study has many limitations

Julia Monk, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist at Yale University (in New Haven, Conn.

Weak connection

Qazi Rahman, a psychologist at King's College London, believes that the study is well done, but he is skeptical of some conclusions

Don't ignore the genetic data of ethnic minorities

Dean Hamer, a retired geneticist from Haleiwa, Hawaii, who published the first studies on sexual orientation genes, was disappointed by the research

Ziqi said that risk-taking behavior can only partially explain the statistical connection between the markers related to same-sex interaction and the number of partners

Hammer admits that it is extremely difficult to associate a complex behavior with genes, but he said that he is happy that the team is studying sexual orientation