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

Nitzan Mekel-Bobrov¹, Danielle Posthuma, Sandra L Gilbert

¹Department of Human Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.

Human Molecular Genetics

|January 16, 2007

Summary

Adaptive evolution in primary microcephaly genes like ASPM and Microcephalin may not explain human cognitive abilities. This study found no association between these genes and IQ variation in humans.

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Area of Science:

Human Evolution
Neurogenetics
Cognitive Genomics

Background:

Recent research suggests adaptive evolution in genes linked to primary microcephaly may underlie human cognitive development.
Genes such as ASPM and Microcephalin show evidence of adaptive evolution and recent selective sweeps in the human lineage.
The hypothesis that these genetic changes contributed to modern human cognition remains speculative due to methodological limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the association between adaptive alleles of ASPM and Microcephalin and normal variation in human intelligence (IQ).
To test the hypothesis that recent selective sweeps in these genes are driven by cognitive advantages.

Main Methods:

A large-scale association study was conducted using five independent samples, totaling 2393 subjects.
Both family-based and population-based datasets were utilized.
Analysis focused on the correlation between adaptive alleles of ASPM and Microcephalin and IQ measures.

Main Results:

The study found no detectable association between the recent adaptive evolution of ASPM or Microcephalin and variations in IQ.
Findings indicate that these specific genetic adaptations may not be directly linked to cognitive abilities within the normal human range.

Conclusions:

The results do not support the hypothesis that recent adaptive evolution in ASPM and Microcephalin drives cognitive abilities in humans.
Highlights the need for direct experimental validation to understand the evolutionary role of candidate genes in shaping human phenotypes, especially in the post-genomic era.