February, 2019
S
even years ago I sat down with editor-
In terms of sexual selection, biologists
Today, the process by which journeys end and
in-chief-extraordinaire, Shelley Mozelle,
suggest that our senses help us to quickly vet
lovers meet has transcended to the digital
to talk about kissing. What makes a
a potential mate through our senses of smell
sphere, complicating the act of courtship
good kiss? Is it the person? The atmosphere?
and taste. Humans respond to olfactory cues
and sexual selection. The rise of hook-up
Fate? While all of these factors contribute
that help assess the reproductive potential of
culture through apps like Tinder, Bumble,
to a kiss that makes you weak in the knees
a mate. This is the reason women are drawn
and others connects people through their
and your friends utterly delighted by your
to the scent produced by a sweaty man.
devices, and often produces a long-ish cycle
happiness, it turns out science is the greatest
Biological cues operate below the threshold
of correspondence before meeting the person
determinant of whether a prospective couple
of our consciousness that inform us whether
face-to-face, which are basically detours and
has the biological chops to survive the
the person has a high level of hormones like
speed bumps to making out. This delays
process of evolution.
testosterone, which is sexually desirable and
the moment a person will be able to receive
suggests future reproductive success. Similarly,
olfactory or other sensory cues to suggest
Have you ever had a crush on someone
evidence has suggested that properties in our
histocompatibility. Technological advances and
and once you kiss it just feels ... wrong?
saliva help us to determine compatibility.
hook-up culture have affected the trajectory that leads to those foot-popping kisses many
Like you’re kissing a family member? Scientists believe this occurs because of
When two people with sufficiently dissimilar
hold as a high standard of romance, or the
the presence of the major histocompatibility
histocompatibility kiss it creates a chemical
unfortunate cringe-de-la-cringe confirmation
complex (MHC), a collection of proteins
reaction that quite literally causes a spark,
that kissing a certain person feels like kissing
that are essential for the immune system to
then kickstarts the pleasure and reward
your cousin. Imagine spending days or weeks
recognize foreign properties that contribute
seeking systems in our brains to pursue. The
exchanging flirty messages with someone
to histocompatibility, or the compatibility of
first time I kissed my boyfriend of two and
only to discover you have no attraction to
the two partners’ tissues. If a couple’s genes
a half years, I felt a spark that sent tingles
them in person, or are in fact repulsed.
are too similar, then their potential offspring
down my spine, through my toes, and made
are at a biological disadvantage because the
its way back to my brain. It was a kiss that
So how are modern lovers supposed to find
parents’ immune systems do not allow for the
shocked me on many levels; most significant
their true loves amidst the smorgasbord
offspring to have a robust immune system that
was the realization that I had never been
of options and technological channels of
can defend against a multitude of ailments. If
kissed like that before. I wouldn’t be dumb
communication? In person interaction—
you’re going to war, you want to rally allies
enough to screw whatever we had up
obviously—and
who have different resources than you do
because in my marrow I felt that I couldn’t
in consensual intimacy to find that life-
in order to optimize chances of survival. Our
not be kissed like that every day for the rest
altering, heart-swelling spark that leaves
biology drives us to seek partners who will
of my life. Shakespeare writes that “journeys
you speechless at first, and then eager to
help ensure our bloodline continues.
end in lovers meeting,” and I’d like to add
share your good fortune with anyone willing
that a very significant landmark of these
to listen. You know we love a good game of
journeys requires an open-mouthed lip lock.
kiss and tell.
www.thecitymagazineelp.com
willingness
to
engage
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