Music and Genetics
Over the past decade, research in music genetics has gained significant momentum. (Illustration: MPI for Empirical Aesthetics / F. Bernoully)
Research in the field of music genetics has gained considerable momentum over the past decade. A research team including the the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, recently published an article in the open access journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews that provides a well-structured overview of the topic.
The review consists of two parts: The first part provides a brief historical background of behavior genetic research. It shows how twin and genotype data can be used to investigate genetic influences on individual differences in human behaviour. The authors then review the field of music genetics, from its beginnings to large-scale twin studies and the recent, first molecular genetic studies of music-related traits. In the second part of the review, the researchers discuss the broader utility of twin and genotype data beyond heritability estimation and gene-finding.
Twin studies consistently show that music skills and music-related behaviors have a considerable genetic basis (with an average heritability of 42 percent). In addition, genetic influences appear to be more important for individual differences in musical ability or aptitude than for differences in musical performance or engagement, to be higher for men than women, and to increase with age.
Molecular genetic research has only just begun to identify specific genes relevant to music-related traits, and many of the early gene-finding studies are limited by small sample sizes and replication problems. However, recent molecular genetic research shows that the genetic influence on music-related traits involves many genetic variants, each with a small effect, and that there is considerable genetic overlap between different music-related traits.
The review concludes with four examples that show how music studies can shed light on questions of broad scientific interest and illustrate how music researchers can use genetically informative samples beyond estimating heritability or identifying genetic loci. In addition, the four examples show how studies using music as a model domain allow researchers to analyze phenomena of broad interest for behavior genetics and the behavioral and neurosciences in general, i.e., sensitive periods in skill acquisition, the importance of the childhood environment for success in adulthood, and the relationships between leisure activities and health.
Overall, genetic research to date highlights the importance of considering both environmental and genetic factors—and particularly their interplay—in the study of music and any culturally acquired behaviour.
Publication:
Wesseldijk, L. W., Ullén, F., & Mosing, M. A. (2023). Music and Genetics. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 152, 105302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105302
Contact:
Laura Wesseldijk
Fredrik Ullén
Miriam A. Mosing
