Gentlemen, are you tired of blaming your philandering ways on the butter buns in tight jeans that belong to Maria in accounting? Thanks to scientists—who apparently have absolutely nothing better to work on—you can now blame your genetic makeup for it, and not just your wandering eye. According to these eggheads, men who are more faithful to their woman lack a distinct gene that promotes brain activity when your spouse isn’t around, but your libido is still churning. Huh, funny, we thought that voice was our drunk friend egging us on.

The finding is striking because it not only links the gene variant — which is present in two of every five men — with the risk of marital discord and divorce, but also appears to predict whether women involved with these men are likely to say their partners are emotionally close and available, or distant and disagreeable. The presence of the gene variant, or allele, also seems predictive of whether men get married or live with women without getting married.

Obviously the men studied weren’t from cities with high rents where living with women isn’t just about love, but sharing bills, too. Also, 40% of the men have this gene? What accounts for the other 35%?

Study Links Gene Variant in Men to Marital Discord [Washington Post]
Image [psychologytoday.com]