Major Intelligence Gene Tied to Myopia: A Review Jon L. Karlsson Institute of Genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland
Data are reviewed which clearly support the conclusion that axial myopia is an inherited condition following a recessive pattern of transmission. Nearsighted persons excel in terms of intelligence, several studies in developed countries having indicated a gain of 7 IQ points over the general population. It also appears that visually normal heterozygous carriers of one myopia gene enjoy brain enhancement, probably of a somewhat lower degree than occurs in homozygous myopes. It is concluded that the proposed myopia gene is primarily an intelligence factor (Mankind Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 3-4, Spring-Summer 2009, pp 280-291).
Are gun owners mentally ill?
Some anti-gun people think owning a gun is a sign of some kind of mental abnormality. According to General Social Survey data, gun owners ...
I've always suspected that, and not just becauue I wore Coke bottles till I had lasix surgery. I've also suspected that ectomorphs have a higher IQ on average than the other body types. Ever hear of any studies on that?
ReplyDeleteJim O, you said...
ReplyDelete"I've also suspected that ectomorphs have a higher IQ on average than the other body types."
I've noticed that correlation also: that more high IQ people are ectomophic. It might not be causal though. (Remember correlation is not causation.) It could be that only the high IQ ectomorphs that tend to breed (and the non-high IQ ectomorphs tend not to breed). With mesomorphs I'd expect that high IQ or not, you're likely to breed.
Moldbug has a conjecture that male feminization (which could include ectomorphy) and even gayness may be caused by something similar one of Cochran & Harpending's theories about IQ evolution in Ashkenazis. I.e., that there's a gay-gene, and if you get one of them you're a straight but feminized male with a IQ boost, but if you get 2 of them you're probably gay.
(BTW, I have met some high IQ mesomorphs. They tend to really stand out though, among the ectomorphs.)
Unfortunately my IQ is not high enough to counterbalance the negatives of having high myopia.
ReplyDeleteIQ most likely cause ectomorphism, not the other way around. High time orientation requires IQ, and holding a low weight requires high time orientation.
ReplyDeleteAl, you said...
ReplyDelete"IQ most likely cause ectomorphism, not the other way around. High time orientation requires IQ, and holding a low weight requires high time orientation."
You are assuming that your somatotypes -- you are assuming whether you are a ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph -- is a choice. As far as I know it is not a choice. You are born with with your somatotype. (I.e, you are born either a ectomorph, endomorph, or mesomorph. Some say you can be mixes of two of them too.)
A person born an ectomorph with low time orientation (or even low IQ) will remain an ectomorph the rest of their life. (Well, assuming they don't take some chemical enhancements.)
Regarding Moldbug's conjecture on the gnxp thread:
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like an inheritance pattern that would be easy to identify in the sequencing that's been done on MZ and DZ twins but no such pattern has been identified.
Cochran showed up on that thread. Don't think he thought too much of the idea.
A person born an ectomorph with low time orientation (or even low IQ) will remain an ectomorph the rest of their life. (Well, assuming they don't take some chemical enhancements.)
ReplyDeleteReally? Maybe mesomorphy takes work, but anyone will become an endomorph if they eat enough.
People with low time orientation tend to overeat and become endomorphic. Ectomorphs are probably people with enough time orientation to avoid overeating but no interest in exercise.
@SFG, you said...
ReplyDelete"Maybe mesomorphy takes work, but anyone will become an endomorph if they eat enough."
You are confusing being overweight with being endomorphic. They are not the same thing.
There are even "fit" (i.e., not overweight) endomorphs. (Although endomorphs are more known to being overweight.)
I would say that IQ and myopia can be tied together due to factors that induce myopia. Genes is one and near point stress is the other. People who are smarter may just read more, inducing myopia through near point stress.
ReplyDelete