assortative mating

assortative mating Word Origin noun Animal Behavior, Psychology.

1. the reproductive pairing of individuals that have more traits in common than would likely be the case if mating were random (contrasted with disassortative mating).

Compare panmixia. Origin of assortative mating First recorded in 1895–1900 assortative mating in Medicine assortative mating [ə-sôr′tə-tĭv] n.

1. Nonrandom mating in which individuals mate preferentially according to phenotype.