Behavior Genetics Association 52st Annual Meeting Abstracts

Abstract

If social status and genetic variants are both assets in marriage markets, then the two will become associated in spouse pairs, and will be passed on to subsequent generations together. This process provides a new explanation for the surprising persistence of inequality across generations, and for observed genetic differences across the distribution of socio-economic status. We model Social-Genetic Assortative Mating (SGAM) and test for its existence in a large genetically-informed survey. We compare spouses of individuals with different birth order, which is known to affect socio-economic status and which is exogenous to own genetic endowments among siblings. Spouses of earlier-born siblings have more genetic variants that predict educational attainment. We provide evidence that this effect is mediated by individuals' own educational attainment and income. Thus, environmental shocks to socio-economic status are reflected in the DNA of subsequent generations. SGAM reveals a new aspect of the inheritance of inequality in contemporary and historical societies.