In 2007, a joint research program between the biology departments of the University of Texas and Washington State University embarked on an interesting experimental inquiry - do our genetics affect who we select for our mate? Now, while the title of this post is somewhat misleading, the experiment raises genuine questions about the concept of 'love'. More scientifically, however, it provides "direct experimental evidence for a role of epigenetics as a determinant factor in evolution."
The resulting journal article entitled Transgenerational Epigenetic Imprints on Mate Preference (for the full article see PubMed, http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1851596&tool=pmcentrez) focussed on whether "endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) can have epigenetic effects (by DNA methylation)" on the mating selection of rats. They showed that successive generations of offspring showed signs of contamination with EDC without any documented contact aside from that of their 1st generational (F1) decendants - "...several generations of progeny exhibiting a disease phenotype without exposure of any but the first generation to the original event...". As a result females of later generations where seen to preference males with no signs of EDC effects, thus having a significant evolutionary effect.
Sadly, the male rats showed no preference between 'infected' and 'non-infected' females, thereby further supporting the view that men are indescriminate with their mating practices.
References
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1851596&tool=pmcentrez
http://www.cartoonstock.com/cartoonview.asp?catref=sea0634
Tim Herington s4205738
