Genetic basis of partner choice.

Previous genetic studies of human assortative mating have primarily focused on searching for its genomic footprint but have revealed limited insights into its biological and social mechanisms. Combining insights from the economics of the marriage market with advanced tools in statistical genetics, we perform the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) on a latent index for partner choice. Using 206,617 individuals from four global cohorts, we uncover phenotypic characteristics and social processes underlying assortative mating.