Friends share more genetic similarities than strangers

[Photo: from VCG]

When it comes to friendships, it's important to have some things in common.

However, while enjoying the same films and having similar taste in restaurants might seem important; the real test of a strong friendship could lie in your genetics.

This is because friends are more genetically similar than strangers, claims a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

A team of researchers from Stanford, Duke and the University of Wisconsin examined 5,500 American adolescents using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health.

After carrying out a series of genetic comparisons between pairs of friends, they found a slew of genetic similarities between them, far more than between pairs who didn't know each other.

They also found that friends were on average around two-thirds as genetically similar as married couples, reports Time.

This might be because people are drawn to those with whom they have shared characteristics i.e. having similar backgrounds, levels of education or being of a similar height and/or weight.

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(News source: The Independent)