Perhaps you have been told that you look a lot like someone else – someone you are not related to at all? It is actually quite fascinating in itself. But what if looks aren’t all you share? Now new research reveals that people who look alike can also have other things in common, namely DNA. – Our study provides a unique insight into human similarity. Here we show that people with similar faces also share genetics. That explains Dr. Manel Esteller, who is a researcher on the project. This is the first time it has been possible to study unrelated people who look alike, allowing researchers to see the impact of heredity versus environment. Shared a lot more In the study, the researchers used 32 couples who looked similar, but were not related. All are photographed by the Canadian artist François Brunelle, who has been snapping pictures of “lookalikes” since the 90s. Among other things, algorithms were used to determine how great the similarity was. Half of the pairs were classified as doppelgängers. The researchers then performed genetic analyzes of the saliva, and found that nine of these pairs were extremely similar. Together, these 18 people shared 19,277 common genetic variations. Many related to body shape and facial features. But a personal questionnaire also revealed that these people have more in common than their appearance: Among other things, a number of lifestyle habits such as smoking, weight and education. Although the sample is relatively small, the researchers themselves believe that the discovery is quite special. – These findings not only give hints about the genetic composition linked to faces and personality. They also highlight how much of what we are, and what defines us, is actually heritage and not environment, the authors write. Dr. Manel Esteller has led the study. He is employed at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Barcelona. Photo: Josep Carreras/Leukaemia Research Institute Want more research Per Magnus is a specialist in medical genetics and specialist director at the Institute of Public Health (FHI). He finds the research exciting. – What this study tells us is that the genes that determine appearance also have other functions. He further explains that most traits and diseases in humans have a genetic component. And that analyzes in recent years, where you look at many genes at the same time, show that the genetic component is polygenic. This means that many genes work together, and that many of these affect more than one trait. Subject director at FHI, Per Magnus, thinks the new study is interesting. Photo: FHI – This is why this study is interesting, but should be followed up, he says to news. One is to do another round with new participants, and see if you find that the same genes are involved, says Magnus. In addition, he believes that a more thorough job should be done to try to understand how the genes work. Can reconstruct faces of criminals For several decades, the existence of individuals who resemble each other without being related has been a fact. But without scientific evidence. – The extensive use of the internet and image sharing has meant that we are now able to identify and study such people, says Esteller. We find a number of examples of these “doubles” also in the celebrity world – actors who look alike. Examples of these are Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley. People have also mistaken these two: Jeffery Dean Morgan, known from The Walking Dead, among others, is not so different from another actor…Namely Javier Bardem. But what can this discovery be used for? Esteller believes that the findings from the new study can make a positive contribution in several fields: evolution, biomedicine and forensic medicine. – For example, criminals’ faces can be reconstructed based on DNA. The face can also give us clues about which genome the person has, explains the professor.
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People who look alike have more in common than looks, they also have similar DNA – news Trøndelag
