Genetics And The City
By Stephanie Smith
What is it about someone that sets them apart from the crowd as a potential partner? Stephanie Smith wonders whether she should be looking for a man with broad shoulders or B.O.
Tall, slim, brunette female in her late twenties seeks sexy man with great career prospects and passion for travelling.
With more and more of us putting our careers first it can be hard to fit relationships into our hectic schedules. But what if, instead of hunting for our perfect mate by speed dating, blind dating, internet dating, double dating or just sympathy dating, we just nosed around a bit?
Apparently, finding that perfect ‘sexual chemistry’ with someone may only require a keen sense of smell. Studies have shown that we can detect differences in a person’s genes by simply having a good sniff.
Tall, slim, brunette female in her late twenties seeks sexy man with great career prospects and passion for travelling.
With more and more of us putting our careers first it can be hard to fit relationships into our hectic schedules. But what if, instead of hunting for our perfect mate by speed dating, blind dating, internet dating, double dating or just sympathy dating, we just nosed around a bit?
Apparently, finding that perfect ‘sexual chemistry’ with someone may only require a keen sense of smell. Studies have shown that we can detect differences in a person’s genes by simply having a good sniff.
Rats smell the urine of other rats to find out if they are a close relation, this way they can avoid inbreeding. Human studies further supported these theories when they revealed that, given different sweaty shirts to smell, people tended to prefer those worn by individuals whose HLA genes were different to their own. The HLA (human leukocyte antigen) system is the genes that code for our immune system. If two parents have dissimilar HLA genes then their child’s immune system will be more varied. Therefore it should have better defences against rapidly evolving diseases.
So could it be that when choosing mates we are subconsciously making sure our kids will carry the best genes and have the best immune systems? Could all our thoughts; “I love his smile”, “Check out her legs”, “God I love his abs” be overridden by a heady pong?
Well not totally. Studies have confirmed that women tend to be most attracted to men with muscular bodies, broad shoulders and masculine facial features; men desire women with soft youthful facial features, full lips and womanly curves. However, lusting after such traits may not be as shallow as you think. Such traits have also been shown to indicate virility and good genes.
So it seems we are choosing our mates on both conscious and subconscious levels. When you read these studies you can’t help but think, can all the wrong people we have dated be explained by the wrong genes? Perhaps it would be easier if we brushed off every failed relationship with “never mind they obviously didn’t have the right genes”. Is it a sign that when choosing a plus one should be looking past the surface and tapping into our primordial sense of smell?
Oi, stop it. Get your nose out of your pits - you smell like a genetic masterpiece. Now for something completely similar:
So could it be that when choosing mates we are subconsciously making sure our kids will carry the best genes and have the best immune systems? Could all our thoughts; “I love his smile”, “Check out her legs”, “God I love his abs” be overridden by a heady pong?
Well not totally. Studies have confirmed that women tend to be most attracted to men with muscular bodies, broad shoulders and masculine facial features; men desire women with soft youthful facial features, full lips and womanly curves. However, lusting after such traits may not be as shallow as you think. Such traits have also been shown to indicate virility and good genes.
So it seems we are choosing our mates on both conscious and subconscious levels. When you read these studies you can’t help but think, can all the wrong people we have dated be explained by the wrong genes? Perhaps it would be easier if we brushed off every failed relationship with “never mind they obviously didn’t have the right genes”. Is it a sign that when choosing a plus one should be looking past the surface and tapping into our primordial sense of smell?
Oi, stop it. Get your nose out of your pits - you smell like a genetic masterpiece. Now for something completely similar:
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Image: Marcos Santos
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