The hottest Heritability Substack posts right now

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Twin heritability models can tell you whatever you want to hear

The Infinitesimal • 719 implied HN points • 09 Aug 24
🔬 Science Genetics Research Methods Statistical Analysis Heritability Cultural transmission
  1. Twin heritability models can produce different estimates of how much traits are influenced by genetics versus environment. This can lead to confusion about what is truly inherited and what is shaped by upbringing.
  2. Cultural factors along with genetic factors play a significant role in shaping traits. Sometimes, what seems genetic can actually be environmental influences like parenting styles, which complicate our understanding of inheritance.
  3. Recent studies suggest that assumptions made in traditional twin studies might not be entirely accurate. By including more family relationships and considering cultural impacts, researchers can get a clearer picture of what really contributes to traits.

It's Fair To Describe Schizophrenia As Probably Mostly Genetic

Astral Codex Ten • 13077 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Genetics Heritability
  1. Schizophrenia is likely mostly genetic but may not be described as a genetic disease based on heritability estimates.
  2. Genes play a crucial role in schizophrenia, serving as a risk factor and potentially a cause for the condition.
  3. Despite the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, schizophrenia can be colloquially referred to as genetic due to the significant genetic contribution in its development.

What is The Infinitesimal?

The Infinitesimal • 499 implied HN points • 05 Jul 24
🔬 Science Genetics Research Behavior Heritability Statistics
  1. Human traits are influenced by many tiny genetic factors, making understanding them complex. This means small changes in genetics can impact our traits in different ways.
  2. Talking about nature versus nurture isn't simple; both genetics and environment play big roles. There's often a mix of many genes working together rather than clear-cut definitions.
  3. The concept of heritability is tricky and often debated. Different studies can show very different results about how much genetics affect things like intelligence or behavior.

Some notes on assortative mating

The Infinitesimal • 339 implied HN points • 23 Jul 24
🔬 Science Genetics Evolution Statistics Heritability
  1. Assortative mating happens when partners select each other based on certain traits, like height or education, making their children more genetically similar over generations.
  2. This type of mating can lead to increased genetic variance in the population, but does not change the genetic variance within families because the parent's traits balance out among the children.
  3. When estimating heritability or variance, it’s important to use the right approach. Population-level estimates can be misleading if based on family data, and vice versa.
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No, intelligence is not like height

The Infinitesimal • 62 HN points • 26 Aug 24
🔬 Science Genetics Psychology Intelligence Heritability
  1. Intelligence is not predicted by genetics in the same way height is. Studies show genetics only account for a small part of IQ scores compared to height.
  2. IQ is more influenced by environmental factors and cultural background. This means the way we measure intelligence might be impacted by things like access to education.
  3. The meaning of IQ and what it actually measures is still not clear. Unlike height, which is easy to measure, intelligence testing doesn’t have a simple or consistent method of measurement.