Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!comp.vuw.ac.nz!cc-server4.massey.ac.nz!A.S.Chamove From: A.S.Chamove@massey.ac.nz (A.S. Chamove) Newsgroups: sci.bio Subject: Re: Are Humans Naturally Monogamous? Message-ID: <1990Nov28.225513.25316@massey.ac.nz> Date: 28 Nov 90 22:55:13 GMT References: <59261@microsoft.UUCP> <1990Nov27.033406.23731@nyama.uucp> Organization: Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand Lines: 30 X-Reader: NETNEWS/PC Version 2.2 My E-mail was returned. So in response to your message asking why animals and people should prefer to mate with their first cousins.... To: osc!jgk@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Joe Keane) Joe There were some calculations done about a decade ago comparing the disadvantages of mating with close relatives (inbreeding) with the advantages (selection of good genes like yourself). The computation predicted that animals should select first cousins. Then a study was done in Oxford by P.Bateson using pigeons. He found that when given a choice of pigeons that were not known to the subject, that they chose first cousins. IT was the start of the Kin Recognition studies (that animals can recognize their relatives even if they have not seen them before). ----------------------------------------------------------------- Arnold Chamove Massey University Psychology Palmerston North, New Zealand -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Arnold Chamove Massey University Psychology Palmerston North, New Zealand