Rude, capt. apathy, can you please explain this.
Sheep study suggests sexual orientation may be genetic
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A study showing a correlation between structural brain differences and sexual preferences in sheep supports an earlier human study that suggested orientation may be genetic.
The study found that a cluster of cells in the preoptic hypothalamus, a region of the brain known to be involved in sexual behavior and partner preference, was larger in male-oriented rams than in female-oriented rams or in ewes.
The research was led by Charles Roselli, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University, with help from scientists at Oregon State University and the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho.
"It indicates that there may be a biological (reason) for this sexual preference," Roselli said Monday from Orlando, where he was presenting the study during the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. "This confirms the human studies."
In a human study in 1991, scientists found that a specific cluster of cells in the anterior hypothalamus, a part of the brain, was always larger for heterosexual males than for homosexual men or women. While scientists were careful to label the size difference a correlation rather than the cause of heterosexuality, they said it could indicate that sexual preference was genetic rather than a choice.
In the sheep study, 28 sheep were studied: nine rams that preferred to mate with males, eight rams that preferred to mate with females, and eleven ewes.
Roselli said it was important to do animal studies to confirm the results of the human studies because the research could be more controlled.
"Human studies are post mortem studies ... and you can never be sure whether the disease is what caused the differences. You're also depending on self reporting for sexual preferences," Roselli said. "In an animal study, you can control the behavioral experience the animal has, the social environment they're brought up in and their hormonal exposure as well."
The results of the study were welcomed by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
"While it should not make a difference whether or not one's sexuality is biologically based, the radical right far too often uses the argument of 'sexuality is a choice that can be changed' to justify their calculated discrimination against the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community," said Lorri Jean, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "Any research suggesting that sexuality is not a choice will help to help defeat that mentality."
