Disassortative Mating (Noun)
Meaning
Mating of individuals having traits more dissimilar than likely in random mating.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- Humans tend to engage in disassortative mating, with couples often differing in characteristics like height and intelligence.
- In contrast to other birds, the Northern Flicker exhibits disassortative mating with regards to bill color.
- A study found that older individuals in a rural population exhibit higher rates of disassortative mating with regards to socioeconomic status.
- One potential reason for disassortative mating is that dissimilar partners bring novel perspectives to their relationship, stimulating innovation.
- Scientists used disassortative mating in plant breeding programs to enhance desirable traits such as yield and resistance to pests.