Study claims humans are becoming less intelligent

The study, published today (Nov. 12) in the journal Trends in Genetics, argues that humans lost the evolutionary pressure to be smart once we started living in dense agricultural settlements several thousand years ago.

"The development of our intellectual abilities and the optimization of thousands of intelligence genes probably occurred in relatively non-verbal, dispersed groups of peoples [living] before our ancestors emerged from Africa," said study author Gerald Crabtree, a researcher at Stanford University, in a statement.

The theory isn't without critics, with one scientist contacted by LiveScience suggesting that rather than losing our smarts, humans have just diversified them with various types of intelligence today.

Early humans lived or died by their spatial abilities, such as quickly making a shelter or spearing a saber-toothed tiger. Nowadays, though almost everyone has the spatial ability to do ostensibly simple tasks like washing dishes or mowing the lawn, such tasks actually require a lot of brainpower, the researchers note.

"A hunter-gatherer who did not correctly conceive a solution to providing food or shelter probably died, along with his/her progeny, whereas a modern Wall Street executive that made a similar conceptual mistake would receive a substantial bonus and be a more attractive mate. Clearly, extreme selection is a thing of the past," the researchers write in the journal article.

Of course, they were all redneck types, wandering around shooting people and mumbling.

Of course. (I remember the name of the magazine, but never picked up a copy.)

LOL...you're bad, Eaker. From everything I've seen...'gunner is wiley and has a good eye. It's a good thing you're buds. FReepers extraordinaire BUMP!

This is total BS for the following reasons:

1. The average age of hunter-gatherers was about 14. Iq increases beyond that age. During the Middle Ages, 70% of the people were 14 or under which is why they seem to be a bit childish in their decisions and actions.
2. Inputs to brain activity are much higher now, exponentially higher than during the HG phase resulting in increased brain development.
3. Increased specialization of labor has placed a very high value on innovation and for the non-innovators, the ability to adapt to different circumstances and to incorporate new innovations.
4. The experience of HGs were highly repetitive solely involving the acquisition of food, housing and warmth and security.
5. The sum of all abilities of HGs are now regarded as skill sets that are fairly minor: Hunting, construction of housing using branches, leaves and mud, production of arrow and spear points using flint, etc. Basically our hobbies are the complete set of their knowledge.
6. Although most people think that agricultural life is pastoral and easy, it is not and it requires lots of thinking and action to ensure that the crops come in. This is particularly true when you have crop yields that are 1/32nd or less of our current yields. Crop yield during the last 150 years has exploded.
7. HGs were fed at close to starvation levels, particularly protein. We take in huge amounts of protein compared to the HGs and it shows in brain development.

These are just a few of the changes that have occured over tha last 40,000 years. There and many others.

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