The Raymond Pearl memorial lecture, 1996: The eternal triangle-genes, phenotype, and environment

Attempts to understand the causes for phenotypical differences in the biology and behavior of human populations have tended to focus alternatively on genetic, cultural, and natural environmental variables. The relative narrowness of focus in these studies often impedes the development of research design appropriate to the hypothesis and the process of reaching reasonable conclusions. Past research on native high-altitude populations is used first to illustrate the deficiencies of research based on single variables and errors which can occur in conclusions about causal factors when potential genetic contributions are excluded. Analyses of blood pressure data from Samoan modernization studies are used to illustrate the complexity of determining causality in the development of a pathological condition. The need for better qualified cross-cultural measures is emphasized. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 9:93-101 © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.