The scientists argue that humankind becomes stupid

A new study published in the journal "Trends in Genetics" suggests that humanity is slowly but surely losing their intellectual and emotional abilities. Geneticist Gerald Crabtree of Stanford University, who led the study, says that humanity has reached its peak from 2000 to 6000 years ago, and since then the evolutionary genetic mutations lead only to a loss of mental abilities, not their development.

From a genetic point of view of human intelligence has reached its current "configuration" in the Paleolithic Age, about 6,000 years ago. It was the intelligence that allowed to survive: find food and raise offspring; People who have not reached him dying. But now, he said Crabtree, life has become too easy, we have lost the skills of survival, and the human brain becomes more susceptible to genetic mutations that lead to a variety of mental retardation.

Crabtree estimates that are involved in the formation of intelligence from 2000 to 5000 genes, which began to deteriorate around 3000 years ago. During this time, mankind has survived at least two serious genetic mutations weaken our intelligence.

To be sure, it sounds paradoxical, given that the average IQ of the world has grown significantly over the past 100 years. Perhaps this is due to the fact that much improved conditions of child care, nutrition, preventive medicine, and so on. N. However, the hypothesis remains controversial Crabtree team for a long time and will be discussed in scientific circles.

via factroom.ru