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mike_c

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27. I do have "credentials in biology..."

Fri Sep 28, 2012, 05:00 PM

Sep 2012

...and there are lots of well known instances of animals foregoing reproductive opportunities in exchange for some other adaptive or fitness enhancement. On edit, just to be clear, those instances persist in populations rather than disappearing. There are also instances of parthenogenetic animals, including vertebrates-- whose ova can develop without fertilization-- who perform same-sex reproductive "pretend" sex or other mating behavior as part of the process.

It turns out that issues of reproductive fitness are not always as simple as "he/she that has the most offspring, wins." Especially in highly social animals, being a spinster aunt or bachelor uncle is often more likely to propagate the genes one shares with others than is attempting to reproduce independently.

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Is There a Gene for Motherhood? [View all] yurbud Sep 2012 OP

here's a wild ass speculation to chew on - hedgehog Sep 2012 #1

then no one in New York City, Hong Kong, or Mexico City would ever get pregnant. yurbud Sep 2012 #4

I didn't play with dolls when I was little. yellerpup Sep 2012 #2

+1 Autumn Colors Sep 2012 #13

I always loved animals. yellerpup Sep 2012 #15

Same here KT2000 Sep 2012 #17

Since we are born with the plumbing, yellerpup Sep 2012 #19

Years ago I recall KT2000 Sep 2012 #46

I remember something of a study like that. yellerpup Sep 2012 #65

Good for you. I mean, I admire someone who follows the..."To thine own self be true" BlueJazz Sep 2012 #26

Family pressure can be enormous when it comes yellerpup Sep 2012 #66

Neither have I. I always thought there was something wrong with me. smirkymonkey Sep 2012 #38

There is nothing wrong with not reproducing. yellerpup Sep 2012 #67

hmmm - I didn't like dolls, either, but mzteris Sep 2012 #40

I enjoy kids, too. yellerpup Sep 2012 #68

I never played with dolls or really craved kids. indie_voter Sep 2012 #71

you and me both NJCher Sep 2012 #55

It's a good thing we didn't live next door to each other yellerpup Sep 2012 #69

Same here - never wanted children csziggy Sep 2012 #60

Babies make me nervous. yellerpup Sep 2012 #70

If there is, my mom definitely didn't have it. Liberal Veteran Sep 2012 #3

could be there are people who act against their "preference" like gays who marry opposite sex. yurbud Sep 2012 #5

question for you LV Skittles Sep 2012 #14

It doesn't really upset me. Liberal Veteran Sep 2012 #16

(((LV))) That's awfully rough. Hope the rest of your family was really good to you. Tigress DEM Sep 2012 #54

Makes sense to me. I had absolutely no interest in being a mother. gateley Sep 2012 #6

Neither did I, but I had two children. RebelOne Sep 2012 #42

There is no gay gene. It would have been extinguished. immoderate Sep 2012 #7

I've read some researchers think lefthandedness may be caused from valerief Sep 2012 #10

Yeah, gestation is chaotic. immoderate Sep 2012 #11

I'm left handed. However, I wasn't always left handed. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #18

I dunno. I'm a southpaw, my brother's a southpaw, and my sister's a rightie. However, my mother was valerief Sep 2012 #33

Lefthandedness, doesn't usually run in families. surrealAmerican Sep 2012 #45

I was 34 when I became a mom. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #51

Probably because we tend to be accident prone. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #53

I have the opposite problem. I'm right handed, but my left handed dad taught me to tie my shoes yurbud Sep 2012 #77

I've read recently the reduced lifespan thing has been debunked. valerief Sep 2012 #57

Here's an article about a scientist who thinks there's a righthanded gene. valerief Sep 2012 #59

No, my hand is straight when I write. The paper is turned. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #50

I'm a hooker leftie, and I've read that most lefties are! valerief Sep 2012 #58

Lol. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #64

I was always left-handed and I my mother was right-handed RebelOne Sep 2012 #43

someone came up with a good theory about why a gay gene would survive... yurbud Sep 2012 #23

So how do you pass on the "gay gene?" immoderate Sep 2012 #31

Aren't many gay men and lesbian women married to members of the valerief Sep 2012 #34

So their gay children would have to pass it on. immoderate Sep 2012 #37

No, their gay or straight children would carry the gene and pass it on valerief Sep 2012 #39

in the past, gays would still marry the opposite sex and have their gay relationships yurbud Sep 2012 #62

I do have "credentials in biology..." mike_c Sep 2012 #27

So where is the propensity to those behaviors originated? immoderate Sep 2012 #30

there are lots of theories.... mike_c Sep 2012 #48

Got it. Food for thought. immoderate Sep 2012 #72

We know so little about genetics but if it IS genetic, you know our friends will lobby to "cure" it. Tigress DEM Sep 2012 #56

LGBT folks sometimes have babies. Zorra Sep 2012 #63

You're correct in that no one has found a gay gene 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #80

Gene Tierney dipsydoodle Sep 2012 #8

Bwahahaha! I definitely don't have the country music gene. valerief Sep 2012 #9

Lack of the country music gene gives one a 20 point advantage on their IQ score. Dawson Leery Sep 2012 #12

There must be a gene for parenthood... olddad56 Sep 2012 #20

I think it is the second x chromosome -- can't be a mother without it. Texas Lawyer Sep 2012 #21

Always loved kids and animals. Sister and brother liked animals kiranon Sep 2012 #22

Maybe if this gets publicized, we'd leave those people to be free to go their own way yurbud Sep 2012 #24

I've always said I was "born that way" in re to being Child-Free REP Sep 2012 #25

I think it's great if people who feel no need to procreate are allowed to ejpoeta Sep 2012 #28

For me, like my eye color, it wasn't a choice - I've always been uninterested in children REP Sep 2012 #32

when i say choice, i mean that you don't HAVE to have kids. ejpoeta Sep 2012 #35

I can totally believe that. I've never had any maternal desires at all. kestrel91316 Sep 2012 #29

When I see a bunch of women gathered around saying ooh and ahh so cute undeterred Sep 2012 #36

Me, too!!!! valerief Sep 2012 #41

We got the dog nurturers gene instead! undeterred Sep 2012 #44

I doubt it's a single gene. HuckleB Sep 2012 #47

everything is more complicated than just genes. yurbud Sep 2012 #61

I would have probably been just as happy without kids. HuckleB Sep 2012 #74

Downs syndrome or something else? yurbud Sep 2012 #75

Just didn't get pregnant. HuckleB Sep 2012 #76

A certain lack of genetic variability in the parents for the latter? TheMadMonk Sep 2012 #49

"Scientific" justification for social engineering. Cerridwen Sep 2012 #52

I never played with dolls either HockeyMom Sep 2012 #73

Mom genes. I haz them. Arugula Latte Sep 2012 #78

That would mean that certain traditionally girl type games 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #79

I have a daughter and had notions of brainwashing her to be a tomboy... yurbud Sep 2012 #81

I suspect quite a lot of gendered behavior 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #82

if they exist, that's fine, as long as we give people who don't have them latitude yurbud Sep 2012 #90

Of course 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #93

I recall a really weird specific issue like this: a sports fan gene yurbud Sep 2012 #95

Interesting. I hadn't heard of that study 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #97

My girls will dote on their dolls one minute and then kick around the soccer ball Jennicut Sep 2012 #84

yep--but they have preferences too. Certainly individual ones and it seems like yurbud Sep 2012 #89

Some people don't like the idea that it is not hard wired treestar Sep 2012 #85

Occams razor 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #86

every society previously has had roles for the genders treestar Sep 2012 #87

You're confusing trends with anecdotes 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #88

girls would prefer sports to playing dolls treestar Sep 2012 #91

"But behavioral traits - both sexes are inherently the same." 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #92

How can it be known when they talk? treestar Sep 2012 #94

"94. How can it be known when they talk? " 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #96

Hmmm. I think I always wanted to be a mother. Jennicut Sep 2012 #83