DNA shows large numbers of genes impact human intelligence
Although intelligence often runs in families, no single gene appears responsible for greater intelligence. Researchers think hundreds or thousands of genes are involved, each having a small impact on an individual’s intelligence. "We thought that was one possibility for cognitive ability differences, and our results are compatible with that," Professor Deary noted.
Deary’s researchers looked at over half a million locations of the genetic code for 3,511 adults. The variations were correlated with the results of two different psychometric tests – recalling knowledge and measuring problem-solving skills. They found that 40% of the variation in recalling knowledge and 51% of the problem-solving variation could be accounted for by DNA differences. The study results were published August 9, 2011, in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
Previous work in this area has focused on identical- or non-identical twins and those adopted. Deary’s study focused on DNA differences. "It is the first to show biologically and unequivocally that human intelligence is highly polygenic [involving lots of genes] and that purely genetic (SNP) information can be used to predict intelligence," Deary wrote in the Molecular Psychiatry article.
-- summarized from http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/aug/09/genetic-differences-intelligence
Alok Jha, Science Correspondent for the UK Guardian, has been looking at research at the University of Edinburgh conducted under Professor Ian Deary. Three thousand individuals were studied, and genes appear to account for about half the variation in intelligence among this group.
Although intelligence often runs in families, no single gene appears responsible for greater intelligence. Researchers think hundreds or thousands of genes are involved, each having a small impact on an individual’s intelligence. "We thought that was one possibility for cognitive ability differences, and our results are compatible with that," Professor Deary noted.
Deary’s researchers looked at over half a million locations of the genetic code for 3,511 adults. The variations were correlated with the results of two different psychometric tests – recalling knowledge and measuring problem-solving skills. They found that 40% of the variation in recalling knowledge and 51% of the problem-solving variation could be accounted for by DNA differences. The study results were published August 9, 2011, in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.
Previous work in this area has focused on identical- or non-identical twins and those adopted. Deary’s study focused on DNA differences. "It is the first to show biologically and unequivocally that human intelligence is highly polygenic [involving lots of genes] and that purely genetic (SNP) information can be used to predict intelligence," Deary wrote in the Molecular Psychiatry article.
Researches do not know which genes are important in determining intelligence. Deary noted, "This paper brilliantly demonstrates that the genetic basis for our intelligence is not the result of a simple mutation in a single gene. Rather, the diverse range of genes that appear to influence our ability to think must have been actively selected for over hundreds of thousands of years. That we display such genetically influenced variation in intelligence across our species further hints at how important cultural, as well as biological, evolution has been to the human story."
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