London - A male love of cars, phones and other gadgets may derive from a ‘technology gene’ which led to tinkerers becoming highly successful with the opposite sex, research suggests.
Genetic studies found one particular line of men throughout history was more likely to have children.
The good fortune of these men may have been due to success with inventions such as the wheel, bronze metalworking and organised warfare, it is claimed.
Scientists analysed the Y chromosome data of 1,244 modern men from the 1000 Genomes Project.
Their study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, found evidence of explosions in populations of males carrying a certain type of Y chromosome.
Co-author Dr Chris Tyler-Smith, of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, said the population increases ‘may have resulted from advances in technology that could be controlled by small groups of men.
‘Wheeled transport, metal working and organised warfare are all candidate explanations that can now be investigated further.’
Daily Mail