PubMed · 4128045
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J O Forfar. 1973-11-17. Letter: Adoption.. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(73)90962-8
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Animal and human studies have shown that individuals choose mates partly on the basis of similarity, a tendency referred to as homogamy. Several authors have suggested that a specific innate recognition mechanism, phenotypic matching, allows the organism to detect similar others by their resemblance to itself. However, several objections have been raised to this theory on both empirical and theoretical grounds. Here, we report that homogamy in humans is attained partly by sexual imprinting on the opposite-sex parent during childhood. We hypothesized that children fashion a mental model of their opposite-sex parent's phenotype that is used as a template for acquiring mates. To disentangle the effects of phenotypic matching and sexual imprinting, adopted daughters and their rearing families were examined. Judges found significant resemblance on facial traits between daughter's husband and her adoptive father. Furthermore, this effect may be modified by the quality of the father-daughter relationship during childhood. Daughters who received more emotional support from their adoptive father were more likely to choose mates similar to the father than those whose father provided a less positive emotional atmosphere.
As of May 24, 2004, investigators have identified 10 confirmed measles cases associated with adoptees who traveled to the United States from China during March 2004. No cases have been reported since April 18, and all the ill persons have recovered without complications. CDC is now recommending that the temporary suspension of adoptions from the affected orphanage in China be ended and standard adoption procedures be resumed.
OBJECTIVE: To determine frequency of house soiling, aggression toward people, and aggression toward other cats among kittens adopted from an animal shelter and whether frequency of these behaviors was associated with age at the time of neutering. DESIGN: Survey. ANIMALS: 126 kittens adopted from a humane society at 6 to 13 weeks of age. PROCEDURE: Owners of the kittens were contacted by telephone approximately 4, 18, and 52 weeks after kittens were adopted, and a behavioral assessment questionnaire was administered. Owners were asked to indicate whether the kitten had displayed the specific behavior in the preceding 30 days. Sixty-three kittens were neutered prior to adoption; the remaining 63 were neutered at 5 to 7 months of age, after the second behavioral assessment. RESULTS: In the month following adoption, 64 (50.8%) kittens were reported to have at least 1 of the 3 behaviors. There was no evidence that the 3 behaviors were related. The percentage of kittens reported to urinate or defecate outside the litter box decreased from the first to second evaluation and remained low at the third evaluation. The percentage of kittens reported to show aggression toward people and the percentage reported to show aggression toward other cats decreased from the first to second evaluation, but increased again at the third evaluation. There was no significant association between age at the time of neutering and any of the 3 behaviors. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest behavior problems may be common in kittens adopted from a humane society, particularly during the first month after adoption.