IQ Population Genetics: It's not as Simple as You Think

摘要: The question of cognitive differences between human populations is one the most contentious issues in study diversity. After reviewing worldwide patterns test performance, this article evaluates alternative causal hypotheses and evolutionary mechanisms. Racial affiliation latitude correlate with IQ as does economic development. Religion, a history colonialism, Communist rule are important some cases. This proposes mechanisms gene-culture co-evolution that can explain patterns. genetic component these likely to become testable further advances molecular genetics. Key Words: Evolution; Intelligence; Population genetics; Brain size; Race differences; Natural selection; Polymorphism; Mutational load; Geneculture coevolution. genetics variation populations, population population-level those variations influence mental ability. Admittedly, field not yet exist an area established scientific inquiry because hardly any cognition nonpathological range known at present time. However, first reports about intelligence-related traits have appeared literature (Egan et al., 2001, 2003), more information available too distant future. At point time we only chart people's performance on standardized tests, evaluate plausibility hypotheses. In I review evidence, advance or another explanation but provide road map for future studies will increasingly rely methods Nature Human Genetic Diversity When genomes two unrelated people compared, every 1200 nucleotides their DNA different: 2.5 million altogether. A disproportionate amount non-coding "junk DNA" presumably irrelevant phenotypic trait (Venter ai, 2001). level diversity low when compared other animal species. sensible modern humans evolved from relatively small recently. Over time, all tend toward homogeneity many less common variants get lost by natural selection chance. Reconstructions mitochondrial (Ingman 2000), Ychromosome (Underbill 2001) autosomal nuclear (Marth 2003) converge conclusion our ancestors emerged moderately severe bottleneck sometime 50,000 150,000 years ago, roughly physically Homo sapiens began spreading over world. Both evidence (Irigmari 2000; Underbill al, 2001; Zhivotovsky fossil record (White Africa homeland According widely accepted scenario, subgroups early left 120,000 100,000 ago non-African populations. implies "racial" see today short period. For example, climate-selected such skin color after spread out tropical subtropical regions South Asia. Cavalli-Sforza, L.L., Menozzi, P Piazza, A. (1994) History Geography Genes., Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press (p. 156) state Sapiens migrated into Near East bp. were China 60,000 similar scale applies evolution possible …