If anyone could find the secret to a long and happy marriage, and bottle it, they would make a fortune.
After all, there can be few of us who have not at one time or another been left stumped - and even in despair - by the vagaries of the human heart.
Given the impenetrable nature of love, the recent findings of a scientist in Sweden are all the more surprising.
No one would think to look at the genes of voles - a rodent that resembles a mouse, but with a stubbier body, a somewhat rounder head and a shorter tail - to find clues to a successful relationship. But Hasse Walum has done just that - and even he admits the results are surprising.
The PhD student at the Karolinksa Institute in Sweden found that a gene involved in pair bonding in prairie voles also indicates how stable a marriage partner a man is likely to be.
Mr Walum and his co-researchers looked at a gene that causes the production of a receptor for vasopressin, a hormone found in the brains of most mammals.
The more copies of a variant of this gene, called allele 334, that a man carried, the more likely it was that his marriage would be unstable.
In prairie voles, famous for the strength of their pair bonding, scientists have been able to influence the degree of monogamy by manipulating levels of vasopressin in the brain.
"We're very happy that our findings are so consistent with the animal studies," says Mr Walum, who used data from a study of more than 550 twins and their partners or spouses.
"I would say it's quite surprising because voles and humans are very different species, but sometimes evolution has similar ways of finding solutions in different species."
Only 15 to 16 per cent of men who had no copies or just one copy of allele 334 reported having had a marital crisis in the past year. However, among men who had inherited allele 334 from both parents, the figure was 34 per cent.
The results, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the US, also showed a statistical link between the number of copies of allele 334 a man had, and how strong a bond he felt with his partner.
Women married to men carrying one or two copies of allele 334 were, on average, less happy with their relationships than women married to men who did not have any copies of that form of the gene.
These results, Mr Walum says, represent the first time that a specific gene has been linked to pair bonding in humans.
However, before women rush down to their nearest science lab to DNA test their potential partners, Mr Walum cautions against overestimating the effect of the vasopressin receptor gene on pair bonding behaviour.
All the people in the study, he emphasises, have been in stable relationships for five years, so even carrying two copies of allele 334 does not make a man a bad prospect as a partner.
"It doesn't really determine what kind of happiness a man will experience in a future relationship," he says.
Also, the study seems to raise as many questions as it answers. Mr Walum admits that the results need to be replicated in different samples and that more research is needed to find out biochemically how the gene influences pair bonding.
Vasopressin is known to have an effect on two regions of the brain called the amygdalae, but an answer as to how the hormone exerts its effect on relationship behaviour is still some way away.
"That part of the analysis - what it does in the brain - is a mystery," he says. "The association between the gene and behaviour - we really don't know about these things."
But if a woman cannot study a man's vasopressin receptor to decide whether or not to go out with him, she can instead do what people have done since time immemorial - decide on the basis of looks.
If another recent study is anything to go by, she might like to get a tape measure out and see how wide her would-be companion's face is.
Scientists at Brock University in Ontario, Canada, have found that a wider face tends to be linked with aggression.
The researchers studied photographs of ice hockey players and found that those with wider-looking faces accrued more penalty minutes, which are most often given for aggressive behaviour.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the most penalised player in the history of professional hockey, Denis Bonvie, has a face that falls exactly into that category.
Separately, when testing how college students behaved when using a computer game, they discovered that men with wider faces tended to be more aggressive, more often pushing buttons that let them steal points from an opponent. As with the vasopressin receptor study, the results were found with men but not with women.
Professor David Perrett from the School of Psychology at the University of St Andrews in Scotland says there is scientific evidence that links facial characteristics to personality.
"You can take an educated guess at the personality," he says. "If somebody is always looking angry and hostile, it's a good bet they're going to be aggressive. If they are smiley, it's more likely they will be happy interacting with you."
This might seem obvious, but what is less clear is the degree to which associations between facial appearance and personality type are determined by genes.
Prof Perrett says that while there are "well-known links" between levels of the male hormone testosterone, aggressive behaviour and facial structure, this does not necessarily imply a definite biological relationship between them.
For example, if a boy develops more rapidly than his counterparts and therefore is large and possibly aggressive looking, if he in turn behaves aggressively it might be because of the way people respond to his looks, rather than any inherent personality tendencies.
"The way people react tends to shape [personality]. Even if you start with one kind of character, you can be shaped into another kind by the way people react," he says.
"If someone perceives extra testosterone in a person, they will treat them differently - with deference. That will allow more dominant individuals to become more dominant."
It could also turn, he says, someone with a reasonably placid nature into a more aggressive individual.
"If we think someone is aggressive and dominant, we may unwittingly help them to become assertive by being deferential to them," he explains.
"People often try to polarise [the effects of] genes and the environment, but here you can say there's an interplay between the two."
In any case, regardless of whether the effects at work are genetic or environmental, many of us are simply poor at making judgements about personality based upon looks.
"People who are more extrovert, they tend to be better at this - they have had more social contact," Prof Perrett says.
dbardsley@thenational.ae
What it means to be a conservationist
Who is Enric Sala?
Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.
What is biodiversity?
According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Frida%20
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 1 (Rashford 36')
Liverpool 1 (Lallana 84')
Man of the match: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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RESULTS
6.30pm: Meydan Sprint Group 2 US$175,000 1,000m
Winner: Ertijaal, Jim Crowley (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap $60,000 1,400m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Handicap $160,000 1,400m
Winner: Raven’s Corner, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
8.15pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group 3 $200,000 2,000m
Winner: Folkswood, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm: Zabeel Mile Group 2 $250,000 1,600m
Winner: Janoobi, Jim Crowley, Mike de Kock
9.25pm: Handicap $125,000 1,600m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Company%20Profile
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Remaining fixtures
- August 29 – UAE v Saudi Arabia, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
- September 5 – Iraq v UAE, Amman, Jordan (venue TBC)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
Cry Macho
Director: Clint Eastwood
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Dwight Yoakam
Rating:**
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MO
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
The team
Photographer: Mateusz Stefanowski at Art Factory
Videographer: Jear Valasquez
Fashion director: Sarah Maisey
Make-up: Gulum Erzincan at Art Factory
Model: Randa at Art Factory Videographer’s assistant: Zanong Magat
Photographer’s assistant: Sophia Shlykova
With thanks to Jubail Mangrove Park, Jubail Island, Abu Dhabi
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
