Apparently size does matter — and get your mind out of the gutter, that’s not what I’m talking about. On the advice of my friend, in light of my impending nuptials, I’m reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s book about the history and culture of marriage, Committed. I guess I’m late to the science party on this one, but I was stunned to read that the length of a certain gene regulates how promiscuous a man is.
From Committed:
This is the famous “Dads or Cads” theory. In evolutionary circles this is not considered a moral judgment call, but rather something that can actually be broken down to the level of DNA. Apparently, there is this critical little chemical variation in the male of the species called the “vasopressin receptor gene.” Men who have the vasopressin receptor gene tend to be trustworthy and reliable sexual partners, sticking with one spouse for decades, raising children and running stable households. (Let’s call such guys “Harry Trumans.”) Men who lack the vasopressin receptor gene, on the other hand, are prone to dalliance and disloyalty, always needing to seek sexual variety elsewhere. (Let’s call such men “John F. Kennedys.”)
The joke among female evolutionary biologists is that there’s only one part of a man’s anatomy that any potential mate should worry about measuring, and that is the length of his vasopressin receptor gene. The scantily-vasopression-receptor-gened John F. Kennedys of this world wander far and wide, spreading their seed across the earth, keeping the human DNA code mixed up and jumbled—which is good for the species, if not necessarily good for the women who are loved and then often abandoned. The long-gened Harry Trumans, in the end, often find themselves raising the kids of the John F. Kennedys.
This is science, people.
I researched a little more on the topic, and found this interesting Q&A with the author of a book on the male brain.
According to that author, scientists noticed that two related species of voles had drastically different mating styles — one bonds with females for life, the other mates with one lady vole and then turns to the next. The difference came down to the length of the vasopressin receptor gene. When they injected the longer gene into the promiscuous vole, he suddenly became chaste.
So does this mean there can be a cheating vaccine? That men can be tested for the propensity to go all Arnold or Tiger on you? No one’s ever accused me of being a science guru, and I have no idea what the answers to these questions are (or if they’re even appropriate questions to ask). But it’s interesting to think about.
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So can we ply unsuspecting beaus with liquor and give them a little pin-prick to collect blood? Surely there should be a burgeoning business out there that will test blood samples for the length of the vasopressin receptor genes. If not, i think i have a new start-up idea.