Gaby
If you find yourself rolling your eyes at your dad’s cheesy puns during family gatherings, researchers say there’s no need to worry. According to a new study, you’re unlikely to inherit your parents’ sense of humor.
A university team led by evolutionary psychologist Gil Greengross claims that, unlike intelligence or eye color, comedic talent is not passed down through genetics.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
In the first study of its kind examining the influence of genes and environment on comedic abilities, scientists asked over a thousand twins to come up with funny captions for cartoons. The team found no evidence that participants inherited their humor skills, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The study included both identical twins, whose DNA is 100% the same, and fraternal twins, whose DNA matches about 50%.
If comedic abilities were hereditary, researchers would expect to see greater similarities in humor between identical twins compared to fraternal twins. However, across all twin pairs, the level of comedic talent was consistent.
According to the scientists, this suggests that a sense of humor is shaped by environmental factors rather than genetics. Nonetheless, the researchers do not rule out a minor genetic influence. The reasons behind why someone is funny or not may be more complex to assess than other cognitive abilities.
Dr. Greengross noted, “The findings of our study that humor is not inherited are surprising, as they contradict most research on the heritability of cognitive abilities, such as creativity and mathematical skills. Therefore, this is truly interesting. But since this is the first study of its kind, the results should be interpreted with caution.”
He also explained that while the ability to tell jokes may seem straightforward, a good sense of humor is a complex and unique trait influenced by a range of psychological qualities and personality characteristics. “It manifests differently in various social situations, such as on a date or during entertainment. What’s intriguing about this study is that it raises the question: if our sense of humor isn’t passed down from our parents but comes from our environment, what exactly makes us funny?” the researcher continued.
He added that these results “also challenge the widely accepted evolutionary basis of humor.”
“A great sense of humor helps relieve tension in dangerous situations, fosters cooperation, breaks down interpersonal barriers, and attracts partners—all of which contribute to survival and reproduction,” Dr. Greengross pointed out. Previous studies have shown that women value comedic talent in a partner more than men do, while men appreciate a woman’s ability to appreciate their sense of humor.
“Men experience stronger selective pressure that drives them to be funny to impress women, resulting in a slightly higher average humor ability among men. Our study also confirmed this finding,” the researcher explained.
The results of the study were published in the journal Twin Research and Human Genetics.
