assortative mating
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Noun [edit]
assortative mating (plural assortative matings)
- (psychology, genetics) Between males and females of a species, the mutual attraction or selection, for reproductive purposes, of individuals with similar characteristics.
- 1922, Frank A. Hartman, "The Emergency Function of the Adrenal," Science, New Series, vol. 56, no. 1440, p. 146,
- Underlying all distributions of characters in assortative matings are certain elementary principles based on probabilities and the theory of sampling.
- 2008, Sarah Barmak, "Social Science: I like you because you're like me," Toronto Star, 20 Sep., p. ID3,
- A recent New York Times Magazine story that investigated the rise of diagnoses of bipolar disorder in children suggested assortative mating as a possible cause, because parents who are both bipolar—and who may marry because they are more likely to understand one another's symptoms—are more likely to have bipolar children.
- 1922, Frank A. Hartman, "The Emergency Function of the Adrenal," Science, New Series, vol. 56, no. 1440, p. 146,
