A research team has discovered that the genes underlying bisexual behavior may be linked to a risk-taking tendency by analyzing a DNA database of about 450,000 individuals in the UK.
Studies on the causes of exclusive homosexuality or bisexual behavior are typically contentious and fraught with moral and political quandaries. The most recent study was published today in Science Advances, and it's not an anomaly.
In addition to explaining why men with a history of bisexual behavior still have a fair number of children, despite having fewer than heterosexual men, the authors speculate that this link to risk-taking may also explain why the genes underlying such sexual behavior have endured.
The artwork has elicited a range of intense responses. While some scientists praised the findings, others criticized the underlying facts. Others claimed that the study would stigmatize those who identify as sexual minorities. According to some scientists, the conclusion that bisexuality is associated with risky conduct could be utilized by others to discriminate against and further spread untrue stereotypes about bisexual people.
Sex without the intention of having offspring could be viewed from a sharp evolutionary perspective as a waste of time and energy, a behavior that could be selected against. However, studies of the population have shown that between 2% and 10% of respondents have sex with someone of the same sex. Research on identical twins has indicated that this kind of sexual behavior is genetically based and at least somewhat heritable. Additionally, a number of evolutionary theories have been put forth by scientists to explain the persistence of same-sex sexual behavior.
