Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have created a map of intelligence genes. It is the most extensive study on this topic and could start real genetic tests of intelligence. Researchers have already used the map to identify 7% of the differences between their intelligences.

Dr. David Hill and Professor Ian Deary started from the genome of 240,000 people in the world. They compared the genetic characteristics of individuals with their results in intelligence tests. In this way they identified 538 genes distributed in 187 regions of DNA. In 2017 a Dutch team had done a similar study, involving 60,000 adults and 20,000 children. On this occasion only 52 genes were identified, thus less than one tenth.

The Scottish study has unveiled that the intelligence genes are also linked to other biological processes. For example, some of these are associated with longevity or migration of nerve cells in various areas of the brain. This would prove the presence of a very close link between intelligence and biological processes.

It was already known how environment and culture can be decisive in the intellectual development of a person. We now also know that physical conditions, health and intelligence could be related. These three factors seem to share at least some of the same genes. The next step will be to determine the degree and type of intelligence of an individual from his DNA.

Source: ansa.it