Science tells us so many different, interesting things…
Does it not?
Science now tells us that your hereditary DNA does not control ones behavior:
[via Discover Magazine]Child Behaviour: Not In Their Genes? ~By Neuroskeptic
A paper just published reports that there are: No Genetic Inﬂuence for Childhood Behavior Problems From DNA Analysis
This is pretty big.
Using a powerful approach called GCTA, King’s College London researchers Maciej Trzaskowski and colleagues found no evidence that genetics can explain differences in children’s behavioural and conduct difficulties.
First some background. ‘Missing heritability‘ refers to the fact that genetics has mostly failed to find common genetic variants that are associated with ‘complex traits’ like personality, mental disorer and intelligence.
This is surprising because these traits are largely heritable – meaning that they run in families, and that identical twins (with all their DNA in common) tend to be more similar than non-identical ones (with only half). But if they’re heritable then, by definition, there must be genes behind that.
But with a few minor exceptions, over a decade of studies drew blanks. Hence the heritability is missing in our DNA, unaccounted for.
Yet geneticists finally struck gold – or seemed to – with a new technique called genome-wide complex trait analysis (GCTA). Instead of looking at each variant individually, GCTA quantifies how genetically similar any two people are as a whole.
GCTA has shown that the more genetically similar people are, the more similar they tend to be in terms of complex traits. Hooray – the missing heritability is… well, it’s still missing, but at least we know it’s out there, in small pieces scattered across the genome.
But this good news only applies to some complex traits, according to Trzaskowski et al. It doesn’t hold for child behaviour.
In the TEDS sample of British twins, the authors conducted a simultaneous twin and GCTA study. During childhood these twins were assessed for IQ, height, weight, and a range of ‘behaviour problems’ including symptoms of autism, hyperactivity, psychopathy, conduct disorder and more.
The results of the twin study said that all of the traits were moderately heritable (roughly 0.5 on the scale of 0 to 1).
But while GCTA confirmed a large genetic influence on the intelligence traits, height and weight, it found no genetic influence on the behaviour measures…
Science subsequently then tells us?
What DNA does control, however…
How we feel about it?
The secret ingredient to a happy marriage is not only communication, openness, and moral support, but also a code that can solidify and fortify a relationship for years to come, according to a recent study. The findings suggest that the length of the “happy hormone” gene variant, 5-HTTLPR, may predict a couple’s chances of achieving life-long marital bliss.
Researchers from the University of California Berkeley and Northwestern University sought to investigate if the length of the “happy hormone” gene determined wedded bliss in 156 couples, middle-aged and older, who were followed since 1989 for more than 20 years.
The researchers examined the gene, 5-HTTLPR, which regulates serotonin. The “happy hormone” has the ability to stabilize moods, prevent depression, and make a person feel happy. There are two variants of 5-HTTLPR genes — long and short — that are inherited from a person’s parents. In the study, these genes were used as a predictor of how much a person’s emotions affect his or her relationships.
The participants provided DNA samples that were used to match their genotypes with their levels of martial satisfaction and the emotional level of their interactions. Facial expressions, body language, and discussion topics among spouses were analyzed in the researchers’ lab.
Seventeen percent of the spouses were found to have two short 5-HTTLPR alleles. The researchers noted a strong correlation between the emotional tone of conversations and how the couples felt about marriage. The participants with two short variants of 5-HTTLPR were most unhappy in their marriages when there was a lot of negative emotion, such as anger and contempt. However, these couples with the short variants of the gene were most happy when there was positive emotion, such as humor and affection.
When it comes to the ‘nature vs nurture’ debate?
Looks like each side…
Scored a point a piece.
*stands clapping* (a non-DNA inspired action)
I just love when everything is all balanced… (a DNA inspired response)