The ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM and Microcephalin
is not explained by increased intelligence

by
Mekel-Bobrov N, Posthuma D, Gilbert SL, Lind P, Gosso MF,
Luciano M, Harris SE, Bates TC, Polderman TJ, Whalley LJ,
Fox H, Starr JM, Evans PD, Montgomery GW, Fernandes C,
Heutink P, Martin NG, Boomsma DI, Deary IJ,
Wright MJ, de Geus EJ, Lahn BT.
Department of Human Genetics,
Howard Hughes Medical Institute,
University of Chicago,
Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Hum Mol Genet. 2007 Mar 15;16(6):600-8.


ABSTRACT

Recent studies have made great strides towards identifying putative genetic events underlying the evolution of the human brain and its emergent cognitive capacities. One of the most intriguing findings is the recurrent identification of adaptive evolution in genes associated with primary microcephaly, a developmental disorder characterized by severe reduction in brain size and intelligence, reminiscent of the early hominid condition. This has led to the hypothesis that the adaptive evolution of these genes has contributed to the emergence of modern human cognition. As with other candidate loci, however, this hypothesis remains speculative due to the current lack of methodologies for characterizing the evolutionary function of these genes in humans. Two primary microcephaly genes, ASPM and Microcephalin, have been implicated not only in the adaptive evolution of the lineage leading to humans, but in ongoing selective sweeps in modern humans as well. The presence of both the putatively adaptive and neutral alleles at these loci provides a unique opportunity for using normal trait variation within humans to test the hypothesis that the recent selective sweeps are driven by an advantage in cognitive abilities. Here, we report a large-scale association study between the adaptive alleles of these genes and normal variation in several measures of IQ. Five independent samples were used, totaling 2393 subjects, including both family-based and population-based datasets. Our overall findings do not support a detectable association between the recent adaptive evolution of either ASPM or Microcephalin and changes in IQ. As we enter the post-genomic era, with the number of candidate loci underlying human evolution growing rapidly, our findings highlight the importance of direct experimental validation in elucidating their evolutionary role in shaping the human phenotype.
SNAP-25 gene
Cognitive genetics
Human self-domestication
Brain size/human evolution
Selecting potential children
Alzheimer's disease: resources
Transhumanism/Brave New World?
Francis Galton and contemporary eugenics
Gene therapy and performance enhancement
Preimplantation genetics and stem cell therapy
Cathepsin D, HLA-DRB1 and APO and intelligence
Institute for Germinal Choice ('Genius Sperm Bank')



reproductive-revolution.com
Refs

and further reading

HOME
Resources
Wireheading
BLTC Research
nootropic.com
Superhappiness?
Utopian Surgery?
The Good Drug Guide
The Abolitionist Project
The Hedonistic Imperative
The Reproductive Revolution
MDMA: Utopian Pharmacology
Critique of Huxley's Brave New World