• Love of nature is partially heritable, s

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Thu Feb 3 21:30:42 2022
    Love of nature is partially heritable, study of twins shows
    Identical twins' nature experiences more similar than fraternal twins but local environment also key

    Date:
    February 3, 2022
    Source:
    PLOS
    Summary:
    A person's appreciation of nature and their tendency to visit
    natural spaces are heritable characteristics, according to a
    large-scale study of UK twins.



    FULL STORY ==========================================================================
    A person's appreciation of nature and their tendency to visit natural
    spaces are heritable characteristics, according to a large-scale study of
    UK twins led by Chia-chen Chang at the National University of Singapore, publishing Feb. 3 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology.


    ========================================================================== Researchers surveyed 1153 pairs of twins on the TwinsUK registry about
    how they experience nature, asking them to rate their familiarity with
    and desire to be in nature, and how frequently they visit natural spaces
    such as public parks and private gardens.

    They found that identical (monozygotic) twins, who share almost 100%
    of their genes, were more similar to each other in their orientation
    towards nature and how frequently they visited nature compared to
    fraternal (dizygotic) twins, who share around 50% of their genetic
    material. Heritability ranged from 46% for nature orientation to 34%
    for frequency of garden visits, suggesting a moderate influence of
    genetics over how people experience nature. However, environmental factors explained more than half of the differences between individuals. People
    living in urban environments tended to have less nature experiences, due
    to for example limited access to gardens, highlighting the importance
    of availability in shaping nature-seeking behaviors. Heritability also
    declined with age, suggesting that genetics may become less influential
    as people age and experience a unique set of environmental conditions.

    Spending time in natural spaces has been found to improve mental
    well-being, but different people experience and benefit from nature differently. This study provides the first evidence for a genetic
    component to both our predispositions towards nature and our tendency to
    visit natural spaces. Nature-oriented people may actively seek out nature
    even if it means traveling from their home, but diverse urban planning
    is needed to provide access to natural spaces -- and the benefits they
    offer -- for all, the authors say.

    "Spending time in nature links to better health and wellbeing,"
    adds Chang. "A twin study shows that a person's desire to be in
    nature and how often they experience it are influenced by both
    genes and personal experiences." special promotion Get a free
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    things we always get wrong about diet and exercise. Claim_yours_now_>>> ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by PLOS. Note: Content may be edited
    for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Chia-chen Chang, Daniel T. C. Cox, Qiao Fan, Thi Phuong Le Nghiem,
    Claudia L. Y. Tan, Rachel Rui Ying Oh, Brenda B. Lin, Danielle F.

    Shanahan, Richard A. Fuller, Kevin J. Gaston, L. Roman
    Carrasco. People's desire to be in nature and how they experience
    it are partially heritable. PLOS Biology, 2022; 20 (2): e3001500
    DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pbio.3001500 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220203161159.htm

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