Height May Influence Who You Choose for a Partner: How Genetics Impact Your Love Life

Scientists have learned a bit more about why people may choose partners who are similar to their own height. They've discovered that mate choice is influenced by our genes, in part by those responsible for our height.

Over the last century, many studies have found that height was a key trait when choosing a mate. Until now, though, there has been no explanation for this preference. This latest study, though, investigated individual physical traits in relation to mate choice and the underlying role played by genetic variation.

"Our genes drive our attraction for partners of similar height to ours, i.e. tall people pair with tall people," said Albert Tenesa, lead author of the new study, in a news release. "We found that 89 percent of the genetic variation affecting individual preferences for height and one's own height are shared, indicating that there's an innate preference for partners of similar height."

Our height is determined by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Using height as a model physical trait of attractiveness, the researchers sought to determine whether sexual attraction is driven by genes controlling a preference for a mate's height.

"Using one partner's genes for height, we estimated the height of the chosen partner with 13 percent accuracy," said Tenesa. "The similarity in height between partners is driven by the observed physical appearance of the partner, specifically their height, rather than influenced by the social or genetic structure of the population we live in."

The findings reveal that when it comes to choosing a partner, we prefer those who are closer to our own height.

The findings are published in the journal Genome Biology.

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