Advantageous developmental outcomes of advancing paternal age
M Janecka1,2, F Rijsdijk1, D Rai3
1Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Translational Psychiatry
|June 21, 2017
Summary
Advanced paternal age (APA) may offer an educational advantage in male offspring. This advantage, linked to a "geek index" (GI), suggests a complex relationship between fatherhood age, genetics, and academic success.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Genetics
- Human development
Background:
- Advanced paternal age (APA) is linked to adverse offspring outcomes.
- However, evolutionary and psychological research suggests potential phenotypic advantages associated with APA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between APA and educational success.
- To explore the mediating role of specific traits (high IQ, focus, low social conformity) in this association.
- To examine the relationship between APA, a "geek index" (GI), and academic attainment.
Main Methods:
- Defined educational success as a phenotypic advantage.
- Developed a "geek index" (GI) based on IQ, focus, and social conformity.
- Analyzed the association between paternal age, GI, and academic attainment in offspring, considering sex differences.
Main Results:
- The "geek index" (GI) strongly predicted academic attainment.
- GI was associated with paternal age in male offspring only, mediating APA's positive effects on education.
- The paternal age-GI association was partly mediated by non-age-correlated genetic factors and potentially de novo factors.
Conclusions:
- APA may confer an educational advantage, particularly in males, mediated by a "geeky" phenotype.
- This suggests a complex, sexually dimorphic relationship between advanced paternal age, specific genetic and de novo factors, and talent.
- The study highlights the multifaceted nature of APA effects, linking it to autism and talent.
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