No evidence that polymorphisms of brain regulator genes Microcephalin and ASPM are associated with general mental ability, head circumference or altruism

Biology Letters

Volumn 3, Issue 2, 2007, Pages 157-160

  Rushton, J Philippe ^a   Vernon, Philip A ^a   Bons, Trudy Ann ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO   (Canada)

Author keywords

Altruism; Brain size; General intelligence; Genes; Social intelligence

Indexed keywords

ADULT; ALTRUISM; BRAIN; GENE EXPRESSION; HYPOTHESIS TESTING; INTERPOPULATION VARIATION; POLYMORPHISM; RACE; SIZE EFFECT;

ADULT; ALTRUISM; APTITUDE TEST; ARTICLE; ASPM GENE; BRAIN SIZE; CANADA; CONTROLLED STUDY; DNA DETERMINATION; DNA POLYMORPHISM; FEMALE; GENE FREQUENCY; HEAD CIRCUMFERENCE; HUMAN; HUMAN EXPERIMENT; INTELLIGENCE; MALE; MENTAL CAPACITY; MICROCEPHALIN GENE; NORMAL HUMAN; POPULATION DIFFERENTIATION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; QUESTIONNAIRE; REGULATOR GENE; SOCIAL ATTITUDE;

EID: 34547470766     PISSN: 17449561     EISSN: 1744957X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2006.0586     Document Type: Article

References (15)

1. Bouchard Jr, T. J. & McGue, M. 2003 Genetic and environmental influences on human psychological differences. J. Neurobiol. 54, 4-45. (doi:10.1002/neu.10160)
2. Evans, P. D., Gilbert, S. L., Mekel-Bobrov, N., Vallender, E. J., Anderson, J. R., Vaez-Azizi, L. M., Tishkoff, S. A., Hudson, R. R. & Lahn, B. T. 2005 Microcepahlin, a gene regulating brain size, continues to evolve adaptively in humans. Science 309, 1717-1719. (doi:10.1126/science.1113722)
3. Figueredo, A. J., Vásquez, G., Brumbach, B. H. & Schneider, S. M. R. 2004 The heritability of life history strategy: the K-factor, covitality, and personality. Soc. Biol. 51, 121-143.
4. Jackson, D. N. 1984 Multidimensional Aptitude Battery. Port Huron, MI: Research Psychologists Press.
5. Mekel-Bobrov, N., Gilbert, S. L., Evans, P. D., Vallender, E. J., Anderson, J. R., Hudson, R. R., Tishkoff, S. A. & Lahn, B. T. 2005 Ongoing adaptive evolution of ASPM, a brain size determinant in Homo sapiens. Science 309, 1720-1722. (doi:10.1126/science.1116815)
6. Plomin, R., Kennedy, J. K. J. & Craig, I. W. 2006 The quest for quantitative trait loci associated with intelligence. Intelligence 34, 513-526. (doi:10.1016/j.intell.2006.01.001)
7. Plomin, R. & Kovas, Y. 2005 Generalist genes and learning disabilities. Psychol. Bull. 131, 592-617. (doi:10.1037/0033-2909. 131.4.592)
8. Posthuma, D., De Geus, E. J. C., Baare, W. F. C., Pol, H. E. H., Kahn, R. S. & Boomsma, D. I. 2002 The association between brain volume and intelligence is of genetic origin. Nat. Neurosci. 5, 83-84. (doi:10.1038/nn0202-83)
9. Rushton, J. P. 2004 Genetic and environmental contributions to prosocial attitudes: a twin study of social responsibility. Proc. R. Soc. B 271, 2583-2585. (doi:10.1098/rspb.2004.2941)
10. Rushton, J. P. & Ankney, C. D. 2007. The evolution of brain size and intelligence In Evolutionary cognitive neuroscience (eds S M. Platek, J. P. Keenan & T. K. Shackelford), pp. 121-161. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
11. Rushton, J. P., Chrisjohn, R. D. & Fekken, G. C. 1981 The altruistic personality and the self-report altruism scale. Pers. Indiv. Differ. 2, 293-302. (doi:10.1016/0191-8869(81)90084-2)
12. Vernon, P. A., Wickett, J. C., Bazana, P. G. & Stelmack, R. M. 2000 The neuropsychology and psychophysiology of human intelligence. Handbook of intelligence, pp. 245-264. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
13. Visser, B. A., Ashton, M. C. & Vernon, P. A. 2006 Beyond g: putting multiple intelligences theory to the test. Intelligence 34, 487-502. (doi:10.1016/j.intell.2006.02.004)
14. Wonderlic Personnel Test, Inc. 1992. Wonderlic Personnel Test and scholastic level exam: user's manual. Libertyville, IL: Wonderlic Personnel Test, Inc.
15. Woods, R. P., Freimer, N. B., De Young, J. A., Fears, S. C., Sicotte, N. L., Service, S. K., Valentino, D. J., Toga, A. W. & Mazziota, J. C. 2006 Normal variants of Microcephalin and ASPM do not account for brain size variability. Human Mol. Genet. 15, 2025-2029. (doi:10.1093/hmg/ddl126)