Query:
Has there been any research into whether or not homosexuality is a result of chimerism (two eggs produced during ovulation, nonviable embryos break up and come in contact with implanted viable blastocyst, which in turn absorbs and incorporates the DNA of the non-viable twin into its own structure)?
Natural selection generally, given enough time purges traits which do no provide advantages and increase the probability of survival of a species. Producing a product which is predisposed to not reproducing would seem to be not only self-defeating but possibly even dangerous to the continuation of a species if it ever caught on genetically. True most non-beneficial genetic traits seem to die out eventually. Homosexuality which is chimeric doesn’t really fit the definition of an inheritable trait. It is not the mutation of a single gene which can be passed down to subsequent generations. It’s not a single thing. It’s part of life’s ability to successfully incorporate more variety into a single organism than meiosis is able to do on its own. Chimerism is an extra added, unexpected bonus of the cycle of life which wasn’t even discovered until 1953 in humans. This seems to support that chimerism is a more likely cause than the popular "gay gene" idea.
bump
Any biologists here?
How do we eradicate the gay gene ?
>>8005737
Biology gradfag here. I'll try to do this justice, although I'm more of a bench scientist than a theoretician. Although this is certainly interesting, there are more parsimonious explanations biochemically and genetically for complex behavioral traits such as homosexuality.
Chimerism is presumably the result of a random process, although recent research has found several loci and related alleles that seem to predispose carrier females to have twins at a higher rate. There may be something analogous with chimerism that we haven't found. Evolution works slowly on biological systems that are excessively noisy (random) or dependent on nonlinear interactions. Chimerism is by definition a highly stochastic process and is likely limitedly evolvable at any meaningful rate. Also, true chimerism likely occurs at a much lower base rate than homosexuality. If you want to argue the role of microchimerism, that may be a different matter.
All in all, epigenetic effects such as histone modification are theoretically more likely and experimentally better supported biological correlates of homosexuality. Epigenetic programming is limitedly heritable, if at all, while still affecting an organism's development in utero and beyond.
While epigenetic processes may themselves be under evolutionary selection, the traits shaped by epigenetic processes are not directly heritable in their entirety, as epigenetics implies the physiological processes resulting from exposure to one's environment. This is likely a better explanation of why homosexuality has not been subject to negative selection.
>>8005737
Homosexuality is largely a result of operant conditioning.
>>8006090
Could you post some literature to start looking into, as well? I'm an organic chemist and I focused on the physical side of biology more than gaining scope...
I would very much appreciate a bit of framework.
>>8006111
>hello Skinner
I guess that's why aversion therapy works so "well" for altering patterns of sexual attraction and response.
>>8006162
Wikipedia articles are a good start. After reading them, hopefully you can get a better idea of what you are interested in and the questions you would like to ask. The subject and perspectives on it are numerous, even when only considering biological explanations.
http://pastebin.com/X72y0MTj
>>8006181
Thanks much.
bump for knowledge
>>8006111
What is operant conditioning?
>>8006090
You use more buzzwords than a postmodernist feminist writer
biologists should be gassed
>>8007756
>Using proper vocabulary and correct scientific terms = buzzwords
Kys
>>8007756
That guy is not a biologist. Notice how he doesn't even address the botched definition of chimerism in OP's post.
It's a samefag trying to get attention.
Sage and ignore.
