It could be the perfect excuse for cheating spouses who are caught out: infidelity may be inherited. Both men and women may be more likely to have affairs as a result of the genes passed down by their parents, according to research.

出轨被发现？也许你将有一个完美借口：都是基因惹的祸。据英国《每日邮报》报道，最新研究显示，携带有遗传性“出轨基因”的人更容易对伴侣不忠。

Scientists have even identified a single gene which has variations that make women more likely to commit adultery.

The study, carried out by researchers at the University of Queensland and other institutions, examined the roles played by genes in human affairs.

Dr Brendan Zietsch, research fellow at the university's school of psychology, who led the study, said: "Our research clearly shows that people's genetic make-up influences how likely they are to have sex with someone outside their main partnership.

"Isolating specific genes is more difficult because thousands of genes influence any behaviour and the effect of any individual gene is tiny. But we did find tentative evidence for a specific gene influencing infidelity in women. More research will be needed to confirm this finding.

Experts have never fully understood, in scientific terms, why men and women have affairs. For men, having a number of partners can lead to more offspring, which would traditionally have been seen as advantageous for the continuation of blood lines.