HOMOSEXUAL GENES NOT FOUND, comment genetic experts,
following a report in Scientific Reports,
doi:10.1038/s41598-017-15736-4 published online 7 December 2017 claiming to have
found a “genome-wide significant association” to male sexual orientation. The NO
experts commented in The Scientist and the Science Media Centre 7
December 2017. The study involved scanning genomes of 1,077 homosexual men and
1,231 heterosexual men, looking for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), i.e.
places where individual DNA letters are different. They found two places where
they claim significant differences were found. As summarised by The
Scientist one was “a section of chromosome 13 near the gene
SLITRK6, which is primarily expressed in a brain region called the
diencephalon that has previously been found to vary in structure between gay and
straight men”. The other was “a section of chromosome 14 near the gene for
thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR), which coincides with reports that
have linked homosexuality with atypical thyroid function”.
Other
researchers in genetics and statistics are not impressed. Dr Jeffrey Barrett,
Director of ‘Open Targets’ at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: “This
study is way, way, way too small to draw any meaningful conclusion. None of
their findings meets the accepted thresholds for statistical significance in a
genome-wide association study (which is why it is published in Scientific
Reports). The comments about SLITRK6 and TSHR are utter speculation, and
don’t belong anywhere near a modern genetic study - we had decades of such
claims that never held up because they didn’t meet statistical significance”.
(Item in brackets in original).
Prof. Gil McVean FRS FMedSci, Professor
of Statistical Genetics at the University of Oxford, said: “The researchers have
found weak evidence for genetic variation that influences self-reported sexual
preferences in men. However, the sample size is small, the results have not been
replicated in an independent study and the level of evidence presented doesn’t
meet the threshold of significance typically required within the field. The
press release is appropriate, but I don’t think the work would have been
published if it were on a less controversial topic”. McVean went on to say “The
specific biological hypothesis put forward in this paper does not have anything
more than highly tenuous / circumstantial evidence”.
Prof. Robin
Lovell-Badge FMedSci FRS, Group Leader at The Francis Crick Institute, points
out “correlation does not mean causation. (The increase in value of my flat
correlates with my increase in age – but I doubt that there is any causal
relationship.)” (Item in brackets in original).
Links: Science
Media Centre, The
Scientist
ED. COM. We couldn’t say it any better than the experts
quoted above, especially the comment about correlation not meaning causation. To
prove that one or more genes cause homosexuality, scientists would first have to
identify specific genes, not just regions on chromosomes, then find out the
precise function of those genes, and then explain how that function forces
people to be sexually attracted to the same sex. Then, to show it has any
relevance, they would also need to study a statistically much larger male group.
Until they do this no-one can seriously claim they are genetically bound to be
homosexual.
Now to give the God’s Eye View: The Creator who made human
beings made them male and female, and created marriage as one man and one woman
for life, (Genesis1:26, 2:24, and Matthew 19:4-6). After sin came into the world
God declared homosexuality to be sin, but like all sins, it can be forgiven and
removed because the Creator who made all people also came to earth to die for
our sins, and rise from the dead to give new life to all who repent of their sin
and put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is not the first
claim of finding a genetic basis for homosexuality that has proved popular but
fictional. See the questions:
HOMOSEXUAL GENE? Have scientists now
discovered a gene for homosexuality? Diane Eager’s answer here.
HOMOSEXUALS:
You claim they are not born that way. What evidence do you have? John Mackay’s
answer here.
Creation Research. |
|
