In the last century, humans have landed a man on the moon, sequenced
the genome, and created the Internet — but, surprisingly, we may be
slowly evolving to be less intelligent than our ancestors.
That's because a series of mutations affecting the estimated 5,000 genes controlling human intellect have crept into our DNA, says Gerald Crabtree, a geneticist at Stanford University, whose findings were published in the journal Trends in Genetics.
"I would wager that if an average citizen from Athens of 1000 BC were to suddenly appear among us, he or she would be among the brightest and most intellectually alive of our colleagues and companies, with a good memory, a broad range of ideas, and a clear-sighted view of important issues," he writes.
Because human beings have evolved to live in a society, as opposed to fending for themselves, deficiencies in intellect haven't made it impossible for reproduction, he says. Humans no longer (or rarely) die because they were unable to outwit a predator. Humans were much more likely to die due to "lack of judgment" thousands of years ago, he says.
"Intelligence doesn't play as significant a selection in our present, supportive wonderful society," he says. "I don't think we should revert back to the terrible times of extreme selection" where only the strongest survive, he adds.
Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/11/13/dumb-and-dumber-study-says-humans-are-slowly-losing-their-smarts
That's because a series of mutations affecting the estimated 5,000 genes controlling human intellect have crept into our DNA, says Gerald Crabtree, a geneticist at Stanford University, whose findings were published in the journal Trends in Genetics.
"I would wager that if an average citizen from Athens of 1000 BC were to suddenly appear among us, he or she would be among the brightest and most intellectually alive of our colleagues and companies, with a good memory, a broad range of ideas, and a clear-sighted view of important issues," he writes.
Because human beings have evolved to live in a society, as opposed to fending for themselves, deficiencies in intellect haven't made it impossible for reproduction, he says. Humans no longer (or rarely) die because they were unable to outwit a predator. Humans were much more likely to die due to "lack of judgment" thousands of years ago, he says.
"Intelligence doesn't play as significant a selection in our present, supportive wonderful society," he says. "I don't think we should revert back to the terrible times of extreme selection" where only the strongest survive, he adds.
Read more: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/11/13/dumb-and-dumber-study-says-humans-are-slowly-losing-their-smarts
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