Gene may affect IQ in males, scientists say

The Grand Forks Herald ^ | Fri, Dec. 02, 2005 | SUE GOETINCK AMBROSE

[Woodworker]

Scientists in North Carolina say they have identified a gene that affects IQ, a finding that, if confirmed, would be a significant step toward understanding the genetic basis for intelligence.

The new research could also have ethical implications because the effect of the gene appears to be quite dramatic: The scientists say that males who inherit a particular version of the gene have, on average, an IQ that is 20 points lower than males who don't.

"I have to admit, the ramifications of it are great," said Randy Jirtle, the Duke University biologist who led the new research, noting that current genetic testing techniques can easily determine which males have the gene version and which ones do not.

...Jirtle predicts that about 25 percent of Caucasians carry the variant gene. An international database that catalogs genetic variation states that the variant gene was found in 28 percent of Japanese living in Tokyo and 24 percent of Han Chinese living in Beijing. The variant gene was not found in a population of Yoruba people living in Ibadan, Nigeria.

It's still unclear why the gene has an effect on IQ only in males, Jirtle said. The variant gene may confer some health advantage, he said, such as resistance to certain diseases.

"There must be an advantage," Jirtle said. "It was selected for something, but I can't believe it was to make males dumber."

[Woodworker]

It was selected for something... that being for the perpetuation of Liberalism...

[thoughtomator]

"There must be an advantage," Jirtle said. "It was selected for something, but I can't believe it was to make males dumber."

I can. And guess who was doing the selecting?

[Cicero]

Yes, I was going to suggest that the Democrats will fund research on cloning this gene, so as to produce more Democrat voters.

[Right Wing Assault]

So, are the Yoruba guys geniuses? What if they were just dumb to start with and this made them normal?

[ml1954]

FYI ping.

[Mercat]

This is interesting. I'm sure one of my brothers is 20 points more intelligent than the other. Just a fact.

[WV Mountain Mama]

I wonder if they can test for this gene in the womb, and what it would mean for babies "not deemed smart enough" by mom and dad....

[PatrickHenry]

Thanks. I won't ping the whole list for this. Just "the few."

[Emmett McCarthy]

Yeah, but which one has a job?

[King Prout]

oooooo... living dangerously tonight, I see :)

[King Prout]

thanks for the ping.

applying genetics to human intellect always rouses hornets to ire.

I await the fireworks, here and elsewhere, over this installment.

[strategofr]

"Jirtle cautioned that inheriting the different version of the gene did not guarantee a lower IQ. Although as a group average IQ scores were lower, there were still males who had the variant gene and a higher IQ. (Two boys with the variant version of the gene had very high IQs of 160, Jirtle said.) And males with the more common form of the gene can also have a lower IQ."

Think I'll wait for a few confirmation studies before I believe this. It sounds like it could be random fluctuation.

[GSlob]

Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen ["IQ and the wealth of nations" Praeger, 2002, Appendix 1, p. 215] estimate average IQ in Nigeria at 67. There might be [and probably are] more than one gene involved in IQ, otherwise the absence of that gene [if its description applies] would indeed provide for a gifted population there.

[Woodworker]

The Yorbua religion is the root of Santeria:

"Orisha worship was spread to the new world through the slave trade. In order to preserve their religious traditions against Catholic repression, the African slaves syncretized the orishas with Catholic saints. Thus Shango came to be depicted as Sta. Barbara; Obatala as Our Lady of Mercy, etc. The religion took deep hold in African communities in Brazil and Cuba especially, and eventually spread to mixed race and European-American communities in these countries. After the Cuban revolution of 1959 the religion, known in Spanish as Santeria or La Regla de Ocha, spread to the United States (especially New York City and Florida), Puerto Rico and Venezuela."

Many of the slaves brought to the USA were Yoruba. Their descendants enjoy, in the USA, a better standard of living than their cousins who remained in Nigeria.

[hellinahandcart]

mark

[Petronski]

Did they say which Gene it was?

[WestVirginiaRebel]

I knew there was some logical explanation for Michael Moore, Al Franken, Ted Kennedy, et al.

[CarolinaGuitarman]

Interesting article; no idea what to make of it yet. lol
As the researchers state, there has to be something else that this gene promotes to counteract the decrease in intelligence. Would be nice to see more confirmation of the genes affects.

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Gene Rayburn was the best!

"Phyllis said: 'I think there's something wrong with my husband's genes that's making him dumber. During the last election he voted for BLANK.'"