So much for outward appearances. What about the less obvious cues of attraction? Fascinating work on genetics and mate preferences has shown that each of us will be attracted to people who possess a particular set of genes, known as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which plays a critical role in the ability to fight pathogens. Mates with dissimilar MHC genes produce healthier offspring with broad immune systems. And the evidence shows that we are inclined to choose people who suit us in this way: couples tend to be less similar in their MHC than if they had been paired randomly.
How do people who differ in their MHC find each other? This isn’t fully understood, but we know that smell is an important cue. People appear to literally sniff out their mates. In studies, people tend to rate the scent of T-shirts worn by others with dissimilar MHC as most attractive. This is what sexual “chemistry” is all about
Good post, I especially find the above interesting.
If birth control pills and such interfere with the chemical signatures, as the article states, that also may be one more reason why so many modern marriages are unstable.
That is an interesting tidbit...
The attraction of opposite MHC types is particularly interesting since among numerous offspring there would be a greater chance to have offspring immunologically withstand a ravanging disease. Clearly an advantage across generations.
This was first shown in a series of research papers using MHC-congenic mice all the way back in the late 1970s-early 1980s (I used to teach on this topic, etc.) and later confimatorey evidence was pbtained with human studies.. The odor route was shown when they could use urine from the mice rather than the whole mouse to show MHC-determined preferences. And the studies were all initiated quite by accident when a lab tech noticed that the matings had been far from random. The individual finally convinced the profs that the mice where quite selective when given a choice.