Re: Intelligence on the X chromosome
Charles Arthur (carthur@independent.co.uk)
Thu, 22 Aug 1996 19:06:34 +0000
In article <3218FBD0.7CB9@sonic.net>, yronwode@sonic.net wrote:
> Matt Beckwith wrote:
>
> > The X chromosomes of a daughter come from both parents.
>
> Yes, but the (hypotehtical) intelligence genes that are *expressed* may
> come from one parent or the other or both (or so the current theory
> goes). Remember -- multiple alleles, cross-over, dominance versus
> recessiveness, all that stuff.
And yada yada yada.
Could I throw a small-sized spoke into these tremendously excited wheels?
Someone mused a while back (I paraphrase) "Hmm, intelligence on the X
chromosome, I wonder what evolutionary advantage that confers?"
Which triggered off all this marrying-in marrying-out stuff. However, I
have to say that from where I sit, this is all getting the cart before the
horse. If we assume that intelligence is X-linked (not definitely true,
but fun to use for a hypothesis) then we have to ask: what would the
evolutionary outcome be? How would this affect the species?
It might be that groups which are patriarchal and matrilinear benefit. But
their social structure doesn't impose the genetic position of
intelligence-influencing genes. It's the other way round. I think some
people have been confusing cause and effect a little. Just wanted to be
sure people have their genes on the right way round, if that's OK.
Charles "RNA causes R'n'R" Arthur
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