disassortative mating: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareAcademic, Technical, Scientific
Quick answer
What does “disassortative mating” mean?
A mating pattern in which individuals with dissimilar phenotypes or genotypes are more likely to mate.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A mating pattern in which individuals with dissimilar phenotypes or genotypes are more likely to mate.
A biological and anthropological term describing a non-random mating system where partners tend to be more different from each other than would be expected by chance. It is the opposite of assortative mating.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant spelling or usage differences. The term is international scientific jargon.
Connotations
None beyond its precise scientific meaning.
Frequency
Equally rare and specialized in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “disassortative mating” in a Sentence
Disassortative mating for [trait, e.g., height, MHC genes] was observed.The population exhibited disassortative mating.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “disassortative mating” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The birds in the study were found to disassortatively mate based on plumage colour.
- Researchers examined whether the fish disassortatively mate for size.
American English
- The study analyzed whether the mice disassortatively mated based on genetic markers.
- Data suggests this population may disassortatively mate for immune system genes.
adverb
British English
- The pairs had mated disassortatively with respect to body mass.
- Individuals chose mates disassortatively for that specific trait.
American English
- Mating occurred disassortatively, with tall individuals preferring shorter partners.
- The species mates disassortatively to avoid inbreeding depression.
adjective
British English
- The disassortative mating pattern was strongest for the MHC locus.
- They discovered a disassortative mating strategy in the frog species.
American English
- A disassortative mating preference helps maintain genetic diversity.
- The model predicted disassortative mating based on phenotypic divergence.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Core term in evolutionary biology and population genetics for describing non-random mating patterns.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Used in research papers on sexual selection, genetics, and human mate choice.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “disassortative mating”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “disassortative mating”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “disassortative mating”
- Misspelling as 'disassociative mating'.
- Using it to describe individual, one-off preferences rather than a statistical pattern in a population.
- Confusing it with 'outbreeding' (which is mating between unrelated individuals; disassortative mating can occur between related individuals if they differ in a specific trait).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
For most traits (like height, education), humans show assortative mating (similarity). However, for specific genetic systems like the MHC, some studies suggest weak disassortative preferences ('opposites attract' genetically).
It tends to increase genetic diversity and heterozygosity in a population, which can help avoid inbreeding depression and may provide offspring with a broader range of immune defences.
By statistically analysing mating pairs in a population and comparing the observed similarity/difference in specific traits (phenotypic or genotypic) against what would be expected from random mating.
Yes, a species can exhibit assortative mating for one trait (e.g., size) and disassortative mating for another trait (e.g., specific immune genes) simultaneously.
A mating pattern in which individuals with dissimilar phenotypes or genotypes are more likely to mate.
Disassortative mating is usually academic, technical, scientific in register.
Disassortative mating: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdɪs.əˌsɔː.tə.tɪv ˈmeɪ.tɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌdɪs.əˌsɔːr.t̬ə.tɪv ˈmeɪ.t̬ɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: DIS-similar people ASSORT together romantically. DIS + ASSORT.
Conceptual Metaphor
OPPOSITES ATTRACT (This common phrase is a folk conceptualization of disassortative mating for certain traits.)
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary field of study for the term 'disassortative mating'?