Genes may explain why children who live without dads have earlier sex
Previous research has found that children raised in homes without a biological father have sex earlier than children raised in traditional nuclear families. Now a new study that used a novel and complex design to investigate why this is so challenges a popular explanation of the reasons.
Among prior explanations of why children who live in homes without fathers have sex earlier are that early childhood stress accelerates children's physical development, that children who see their parents dating may start dating earlier, and that it's harder for a single parent to monitor and supervise children's activities and peers. All of these are environmental explanations.
"Our study found that the association between fathers' absence and children's sexuality is best explained by genetic influences, rather than by environmental theories alone," according to Jane Mendle, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, who led the study.
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Yet another bit of "science", done with the sole purpose of trying to lift the spectres of responsibility and consequences, from people who choose to divorce regardless of the impact on their children.
Pah.
In how many ways was this study crappy? I can't even begin to count them. I'm sorely tempted to write an article about this, but will have to delegate it to my clone for lack of time.
genetic influences... gee that's vague.
my understanding...... of the genetics...on an elementary level....
DNA doesn't switch it self on/off. primary signals/external environ of the cell (reduced by the body into proteins) are picked up by receptors on the membrane, then transmitted to effectors, which send the secondary signal into the cell to elicit a behavior; to expose portions of the DNA so that they may be activated.
fathers emit pheremones (external environ/primary signal) which manifest at an inter-cellular level/secondary signal as proteins which 'seem to' act as sexual maturation suppressors to their genetic offspring. this less stressed environ allows for extended nurture, and probability of higher brain function manifesting in more successful offspring.
in a more stressed environ, the paternal pheremone (signals) are absent (resources in jeopardy) the sexual maturation process is not suppressed, or is activated by other proteins that signal the appropriate DNA snippets to expose on the genome and express.
if basic resources (food/shelter/safety) are in jeopardy or not adequately met, the sexual maturation sched is sped up. and yea, maternal distraction to either acquire resources and/or a mate does play a role in early sexual activity of her offspring... this is also exacerbated by introduction of non-paternal males into the children's environ. w/no shared genetic component - mom's boyfriends (on a biological level) are interpreted by males as a threat and by females as a potential mate.
a new male lion, taking over a pride... mom'll be lucky, the non genetically related male 'metaphorically' doesn't eat her young.
nature's way of ensuring all functions necessary for continuation of species come on line before disease/mortality take one out of the gene pool;
for males, hunter/gatherer skills and libido/eqpt to defend turf/resources and to attract mates.
for females, libido/eqpt to attract resources (males) to help care for offspring, as she is hamstrung by the long-term investment to rear offspring to independence 4-5 yrs old approx, which is the name of the game.
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