If dad was a playboy, there’s a good chance that his sons and daughters will also be promiscuous, suggests a new study that identified a genetic link to such behavior.

Moral objections aside, promiscuity can benefit a species because it often results in more progeny with greater genetic diversity. There are clear risks, such as having a higher chance of acquiring a sexually transmitted disease, but the genetic predisposition to play the field appears to be locked into the DNA of socially monogamous species, including humans.

“Other research has concluded that sons of promiscuous fathers are two times more likely to cheat than others,” lead author Wolfgang Forstmeier told Discovery News, adding that daughters of such fathers and mothers would also be more likely to cheat.