and according to a new study by Yale University, your friends may have a place in your family tree. Researchers suggest that we tend to pick friends who are genetically similar, and the closest ones are the genetic equivalent of a fourth cousin. "It gives us a deeper understanding of the origins of friendship," says Nicholas Christakis, a Yale professor and co-author of the study. "Not only do we make friends with like-minded people, but also those who are similar to us genetically. Friends are like our relatives, even though they aren't."
