- #106
iansmith
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
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Mandrake said:They show that if a man in prison has an identical twin, it's likely his cotwin will also be in prison. If the twin is fraternal [with 50 percent shared genes, on the average], the likelihood is not nearly as great that he'll be in prison, too, but it's greater than chance. How could one possibly account for this difference with environmentalist explanations? The strong genetic component in criminality has already been proven up to the hilt.
The problem here is that the example does not prove that there is genetic link. The environment could be in question. Two twin brother in prison. Both grew in the same environment. Was the parents, other relatives in prison?
A better example would be the following.
In my familly, there seems to be high percentage of individual on paternal side with great intellectual capacity. First, 5/8 of my uncle/aunt had not problem learning at school and can do high intellectual work with few effort and 10/15 indiviuals of following generation and 2/3 of the third generation have the same abilities. This lead to suggest that a gene may be responsible for the this intellectual abilities but firts, you have to factor in the environment. The first generation grew up in a working class in the 1960's. This is not environment that promote great intecllectual and the proof stand in the fact that none of the first generation have bachelors degree as their first diploma. They all have technical or no college degree. Very few individuals of the second generation grew up in the same city but they are all from middle class. Already the socio-economic status has increase and 3 of the most gifted have Bachelors. Some of the most gifted have no college diploma, even after several attemps. The third generation lives have the same socio-economic status as their parents, however they are too young to be assess in terms of their academic stating but their learning curve is rapid.
Look at this, it suggest that the intellectual ability of this family is inherited. It can only be stated because three generation were assess for the socio-econmoic status and I look at the whole generation not only at a few individuals. To prove that the heridity exist, you have to compare the gifted against the average individuals at the genetic level. Heredity can only be proven if there is genes associated with it. Once you have what you think is responsible then you have to compare it with other families with suspected heretable gifts.
None of the research stated looked at the genetic level of the heredity. Therefore, most studies, at best, suggest that inheritance should be look at as a factor.