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Genetic evidence of assortative mating in humans

Author

Listed:
  • Matthew R. Robinson

    (Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland)

  • Aaron Kleinman

    (Department of Research)

  • Mariaelisa Graff

    (Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina)

  • Anna A. E. Vinkhuyzen

    (Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland)

  • David Couper

    (Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina)

  • Michael B. Miller

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Wouter J. Peyrot

    (VU University Medical Centre & GGZ inGeest)

  • Abdel Abdellaoui

    (VU University Amsterdam)

  • Brendan P. Zietsch

    (School of Psychology, The University of Queensland)

  • Ilja M. Nolte

    (University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen
    Unit of Genetic Epidemiology and Bioinformatics, Dept of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen
    University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen)

  • Jana V. van Vliet-Ostaptchouk

    (University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen
    University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen)

  • Harold Snieder

    (University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen
    University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen
    LifeLines Cohort Study, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen
    Unit of Genetic Epidemiology and Bioinformatics, Dept of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen)

  • Sarah E. Medland

    (QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
    Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research
    Queensland Institute of Medical Research)

  • Nicholas G. Martin

    (QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
    Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research
    Queensland Institute of Medical Research)

  • Patrik K. E. Magnusson

    (Karolinska Institutet
    Karolinska Institutet)

  • William G. Iacono

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Matt McGue

    (University of Minnesota)

  • Kari E. North

    (Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina
    Carolina Centre for Genome Sciences, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina
    School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill)

  • Jian Yang

    (Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland
    The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland
    Queensland Institute of Medical Research
    Queensland Statistical Genetics Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research)

  • Peter M. Visscher

    (Institute of Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland
    The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland
    The Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland
    Queensland Statistical Genetics Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research)

Abstract

In human populations, assortative mating is almost univer­sally positive, with similarities between partners for quantit­ative phenotypes1–6, common disease risk1,3,7–10, beha­vi­our6,11, social factors12–14 and personality4,5,11. The causes and genetic consequences of assortative mating remain un­re­solved because partner similarity can arise from different mechanisms: phenotypic assortment based on mate choice15,16, partner interaction and convergence in phenotype over time14,17, or social homogamy where individuals pair according to social or environmental background. Here, we present theory and an analytical approach to test for genetic evidence of assortative mating and find a correlation in genetic value among partners for a range of phenotypes. Across three independent samples of 24,662 spousal pairs in total, we infer a correlation at trait-associated loci between partners for height (0.200, 0.004 standard error, SE) that matched the phenotypic correlation (0.201, 0.004 SE), and a correlation at trait-associated loci for BMI (0.143, 0.007 SE) that was significantly lower than the phenotypic value (0.228, 0.004 SE). We extend our analysis to the UK Biobank study (7,780 pairs), finding evidence of a correlation at trait-associated loci for waist-to-hip ratio (0.101, 0.041 SE), systolic blood pressure (0.138, 0.064 SE) and educational attainment (0.654, 0.014 SE). Our results imply that mate choice, combined with widespread pleiotropy among traits, affects the genomic architecture of traits in humans.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew R. Robinson & Aaron Kleinman & Mariaelisa Graff & Anna A. E. Vinkhuyzen & David Couper & Michael B. Miller & Wouter J. Peyrot & Abdel Abdellaoui & Brendan P. Zietsch & Ilja M. Nolte & Jana V. , 2017. "Genetic evidence of assortative mating in humans," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(1), pages 1-13, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:1:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41562-016-0016
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-016-0016
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Evelina T. Akimova & Tobias Wolfram & Xuejie Ding & Felix C. Tropf & Melinda C. Mills, 2025. "Polygenic prediction of occupational status GWAS elucidates genetic and environmental interplay in intergenerational transmission, careers and health in UK Biobank," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 9(2), pages 391-405, February.
    2. Fartein Ask Torvik & Espen Moen Eilertsen & Laurie J. Hannigan & Rosa Cheesman & Laurence J. Howe & Per Magnus & Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud & Ole A. Andreassen & Pål R. Njølstad & Alexandra Havdahl & Eiv, 2022. "Modeling assortative mating and genetic similarities between partners, siblings, and in-laws," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Hans Fredrik Sunde & Nikolai Haahjem Eftedal & Rosa Cheesman & Elizabeth C. Corfield & Thomas H. Kleppesto & Anne Caroline Seierstad & Eivind Ystrom & Espen Moen Eilertsen & Fartein Ask Torvik, 2024. "Genetic similarity between relatives provides evidence on the presence and history of assortative mating," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Akimova, Evelina T. & Wolfram, Tobias & Ding, Xuejie & Tropf, Felix C. & Mills, Melinda C., 2024. "Polygenic prediction of occupational status GWAS elucidates genetic and environmental interplay in intergenerational transmission, careers and health in UK Biobank," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 9(2), pages 391-405.
    5. Hans Kippersluis & Pietro Biroli & Rita Dias Pereira & Titus J. Galama & Stephanie Hinke & S. Fleur W. Meddens & Dilnoza Muslimova & Eric A. W. Slob & Ronald Vlaming & Cornelius A. Rietveld, 2023. "Overcoming attenuation bias in regressions using polygenic indices," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-16, December.
    6. Kenichi Yamamoto & Kyuto Sonehara & Shinichi Namba & Takahiro Konuma & Hironori Masuko & Satoru Miyawaki & Yoichiro Kamatani & Nobuyuki Hizawa & Keiichi Ozono & Loic Yengo & Yukinori Okada, 2023. "Genetic footprints of assortative mating in the Japanese population," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 65-73, January.
    7. Abdellaoui, Abdel & Martin, Hilary C. & Rutherford, Adam & Kolk, Martin & Muthukrishna, Michael & Tropf, Felix & Mills, Melinda C. & Zietsch, Brendan & Verweij, Karin J.H. & Visscher, Peter M., 2025. "Socio-economic status is a social construct with heritable components and genetic consequences: a social construct with heritable components and genetic consequences," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 127662, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    8. Wenhan Chen & Yang Wu & Zhili Zheng & Ting Qi & Peter M. Visscher & Zhihong Zhu & Jian Yang, 2021. "Improved analyses of GWAS summary statistics by reducing data heterogeneity and errors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    9. Liza Darrous & Gibran Hemani & George Davey Smith & Zoltán Kutalik, 2024. "PheWAS-based clustering of Mendelian Randomisation instruments reveals distinct mechanism-specific causal effects between obesity and educational attainment," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    10. Jennifer Sjaarda & Zoltán Kutalik, 2023. "Partner choice, confounding and trait convergence all contribute to phenotypic partner similarity," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 7(5), pages 776-789, May.

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