---
_id: '7715'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: Preference for mates with similar phenotypes; that is, assortative mating,
    is widely observed in humans1,2,3,4,5 and has evolutionary consequences6,7,8.
    Under Fisher's classical theory6, assortative mating is predicted to induce a
    signature in the genome at trait-associated loci that can be detected and quantified.
    Here, we develop and apply a method to quantify assortative mating on a specific
    trait by estimating the correlation (θ) between genetic predictors of the trait
    from single nucleotide polymorphisms on odd- versus even-numbered chromosomes.
    We show by theory and simulation that the effect of assortative mating can be
    quantified in the presence of population stratification. We applied this approach
    to 32 complex traits and diseases using single nucleotide polymorphism data from
    ~400,000 unrelated individuals of European ancestry. We found significant evidence
    of assortative mating for height (θ = 3.2%) and educational attainment (θ = 2.7%),
    both of which were consistent with theoretical predictions. Overall, our results
    imply that assortative mating involves multiple traits and affects the genomic
    architecture of loci that are associated with these traits, and that the consequence
    of mate choice can be detected from a random sample of genomes.
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Loic
  full_name: Yengo, Loic
  last_name: Yengo
- first_name: Matthew Richard
  full_name: Robinson, Matthew Richard
  id: E5D42276-F5DA-11E9-8E24-6303E6697425
  last_name: Robinson
  orcid: 0000-0001-8982-8813
- first_name: Matthew C.
  full_name: Keller, Matthew C.
  last_name: Keller
- first_name: Kathryn E.
  full_name: Kemper, Kathryn E.
  last_name: Kemper
- first_name: Yuanhao
  full_name: Yang, Yuanhao
  last_name: Yang
- first_name: Maciej
  full_name: Trzaskowski, Maciej
  last_name: Trzaskowski
- first_name: Jacob
  full_name: Gratten, Jacob
  last_name: Gratten
- first_name: Patrick
  full_name: Turley, Patrick
  last_name: Turley
- first_name: David
  full_name: Cesarini, David
  last_name: Cesarini
- first_name: Daniel J.
  full_name: Benjamin, Daniel J.
  last_name: Benjamin
- first_name: Naomi R.
  full_name: Wray, Naomi R.
  last_name: Wray
- first_name: Michael E.
  full_name: Goddard, Michael E.
  last_name: Goddard
- first_name: Jian
  full_name: Yang, Jian
  last_name: Yang
- first_name: Peter M.
  full_name: Visscher, Peter M.
  last_name: Visscher
citation:
  ama: Yengo L, Robinson MR, Keller MC, et al. Imprint of assortative mating on the
    human genome. <i>Nature Human Behaviour</i>. 2018;2(12):948-954. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0476-3">10.1038/s41562-018-0476-3</a>
  apa: Yengo, L., Robinson, M. R., Keller, M. C., Kemper, K. E., Yang, Y., Trzaskowski,
    M., … Visscher, P. M. (2018). Imprint of assortative mating on the human genome.
    <i>Nature Human Behaviour</i>. Springer Nature. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0476-3">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0476-3</a>
  chicago: Yengo, Loic, Matthew Richard Robinson, Matthew C. Keller, Kathryn E. Kemper,
    Yuanhao Yang, Maciej Trzaskowski, Jacob Gratten, et al. “Imprint of Assortative
    Mating on the Human Genome.” <i>Nature Human Behaviour</i>. Springer Nature, 2018.
    <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0476-3">https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0476-3</a>.
  ieee: L. Yengo <i>et al.</i>, “Imprint of assortative mating on the human genome,”
    <i>Nature Human Behaviour</i>, vol. 2, no. 12. Springer Nature, pp. 948–954, 2018.
  ista: Yengo L, Robinson MR, Keller MC, Kemper KE, Yang Y, Trzaskowski M, Gratten
    J, Turley P, Cesarini D, Benjamin DJ, Wray NR, Goddard ME, Yang J, Visscher PM.
    2018. Imprint of assortative mating on the human genome. Nature Human Behaviour.
    2(12), 948–954.
  mla: Yengo, Loic, et al. “Imprint of Assortative Mating on the Human Genome.” <i>Nature
    Human Behaviour</i>, vol. 2, no. 12, Springer Nature, 2018, pp. 948–54, doi:<a
    href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0476-3">10.1038/s41562-018-0476-3</a>.
  short: L. Yengo, M.R. Robinson, M.C. Keller, K.E. Kemper, Y. Yang, M. Trzaskowski,
    J. Gratten, P. Turley, D. Cesarini, D.J. Benjamin, N.R. Wray, M.E. Goddard, J.
    Yang, P.M. Visscher, Nature Human Behaviour 2 (2018) 948–954.
date_created: 2020-04-30T10:42:12Z
date_published: 2018-11-26T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2021-01-12T08:15:03Z
day: '26'
doi: 10.1038/s41562-018-0476-3
extern: '1'
intvolume: '         2'
issue: '12'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '11'
oa_version: None
page: 948-954
publication: Nature Human Behaviour
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 2397-3374
publication_status: published
publisher: Springer Nature
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: Imprint of assortative mating on the human genome
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 2
year: '2018'
...