Inferring intelligence of ancient people based on modern genomic studies

Abstract

AbstractQuantification of ancient human intelligence has become possible with recent advances in polygenic prediction. Intelligence is a complex trait that has both environmental and genetic components and high heritability. Large-scale genome-wide association studies based on ~270,000 individuals have demonstrated highly significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with intelligence in present-day humans. We utilized those previously reported 12,037 SNPs to estimate a genetic component of intelligence in ancient Funadomari Jomon individual from 3700 years BP as well as four individuals of Afanasievo nuclear family from about 4100 years BP and who are considered anatomically modern humans. We have demonstrated that ancient individuals could have been not inferior in intelligence compared to present-day humans through assessment of the genetic component of intelligence. We have also confirmed that alleles associated with intelligence tend to spread equally between ancestral and derived origin suggesting that intelligence may be a neutral trait in human evolution.