MyQJ | QJ.NET | iPhone | MMORPG | Nintendo DS | Wii | PlayStation 3 | PSP | Xbox 360 | Downloads | QJ.NET Forums | Advertise on QJ!

Making faces: it's a genetic thing =p

Posted Oct 19, 2006 at 01:34PM by Gino D. Listed in: Genetics Tags: National Academy of Sciences
Ó

Facial expressions... priceless!


Family reunions usually happen only after a long interim (unless you're from Italy where they have reunions like thrice a week, hehe). And no matter who you are, who your parents are, who your grandparents are, you will always have a somewhat distant aunt who would pinch your cheeks during family reunions and say: "Oh lordy! My, how you've grown! You look so much like your mother/father now!"

But those are just usually based on facial features. The same jaw, the same nose, same eyes... But sometimes, when you've had enough of the cheek-pinching, you wince. Your aunt then exclaims, "Oh lordy! That was such a face your mother/father would do!"

Yes. Facial expressions are now believed to be passed down. There's been a study from the University of Haifa in Israel (published in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences") involving a group of men who were born blind. They and their relatives were all interviewed and told to make facial expressions of joy, anger, sadness. And upon analysis, the same signature of a facial expression was similar between the blind person and his relatives. Since they have been blind since birth, there would have been no way for them to have seen and copied their relatives' facial expressions.

The only explanation the researchers were able to come up with was genetics. This, however, is still not founded on any hard data of which specific genes will trigger the signature of the facial expression. The scientists are hopeful though. Meanwhile, those family reunion pictures of yours might help you find out where you "inherited" that smile.

[Via CBS News] Permalink  |   Email this  |   Linking Blogs   |   Digg It!

Bookmark / Find this article on:

2 Comments


Sort by:
   by Advertising -
   by tinglemaps - 2006-10-20
 » nice
nice use of the No-face


   Re: Gino D. (QJ. NET Staff) - 2006-10-20
 » Ghibli fan also?
Glad someone was able to recognize it. ^_^


Contact
QJ.NET Blog Network RSS Feeds
MyQJ Feed / PDA
MyQJ RSS / PDA
Blog of Blogs Feed / PDA
QJ.NET RSS / PDA
Gaming Consoles Feed / PDA
Nintendo DS RSS / PDA
PlayStation 3 RSS / PDA
PSP Updates RSS / PDA
Wii RSS / PDA
Xbox 360 RSS / PDA
PC Gaming Feed / PDA
Age of Conan RSS / PDA
Games for Windows RSS / PDA
MMORPG RSS / PDA
Tabula Rasa RSS / PDA
World of Warcraft RSS / PDA
Science Feed / PDA
Science RSS / PDA
Technology Feed / PDA
Apple RSS / PDA
Gadgets RSS / PDA
iPhone RSS / PDA
Mobile RSS / PDA
Photography RSS / PDA
Tech RSS / PDA
Add QJ.NET
Add to My Yahoo!
Google Reader Subscribe with Bloglines
Add to your Kinja digest Subscribe in NewsGator Online
Subscribe with Pluck RSS reader Add 'www.qj.net' to Newsburst from CNET News.com
Subscribe with SearchFox RSS del.icio.us www.qj.net
Add to Technorati Favorite! Add to My AOL
furl! it Stumble for Treehugger!
User Favorites - October
Most Commented
(1)
(1)
User Favorites - October
Top Jumps
No available articles using criteria

 Username: 
 Password:
Forgot password
New user registration



Poll
Are unidentified flying objects (UFOs) really alien spaceships?
Earth Science
General Science
Health Science
Space
Archives


Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the TERMS & CONDITIONS and PRIVACY POLICY
Copyright © 2006, Content Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Version. 1.31