Comments on: “Guns, Germs and Steel” and Ideological Orthodoxy http://helian.net/blog/2010/02/08/worldview/guns-germs-and-steel-and-ideological-orthodoxy/ The world as I see it Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:54:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: admin0 http://helian.net/blog/2010/02/08/worldview/guns-germs-and-steel-and-ideological-orthodoxy/comment-page-1/#comment-803 admin0 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:47:08 +0000 http://helian.net/blog/?p=1137#comment-803 Thanks for the note. I was aware of the books, but I'll Google Scholar the other guys you mention. Thanks for the note. I was aware of the books, but I’ll Google Scholar the other guys you mention.

]]> By: SB http://helian.net/blog/2010/02/08/worldview/guns-germs-and-steel-and-ideological-orthodoxy/comment-page-1/#comment-798 SB Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:14:54 +0000 http://helian.net/blog/?p=1137#comment-798 The main problem with it is that it overlooks genetic changes that accompanied cultural and geographic change. Particularly, the advent of agriculture has been shown by the likes of John Hawks to have lead to a raft of genetic change. Others like Scott Williamson, Bruce Lahn and Ben Voight have shown a number of changes that relate to neurological function. For instance, you see new versions of SLC6A4, a serotonin transporter, in Europeans and Asians. There’s a new version of a gene (DAB1) that shapes the development of the layers of the cerebral cortex in east Asia. More of this will be understood as the cost of genome sequencing falls. Books that build on Diamond's work, but include the genetic changes include New York Times Science reporter Nicholas Wade's 'Before the Dawn'. Also, the more recent 'The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution' by Greg Cochran and Henry Harpending incorporates recent genome findings. The main problem with it is that it overlooks genetic changes that accompanied cultural and geographic change. Particularly, the advent of agriculture has been shown by the likes of John Hawks to have lead to a raft of genetic change. Others like Scott Williamson, Bruce Lahn and Ben Voight have shown a number of changes that relate to neurological function. For instance, you see new versions of SLC6A4, a serotonin transporter, in Europeans and Asians. There’s a new version of a gene (DAB1) that shapes the development of the layers of the cerebral cortex in east Asia. More of this will be understood as the cost of genome sequencing falls.

Books that build on Diamond’s work, but include the genetic changes include New York Times Science reporter Nicholas Wade’s ‘Before the Dawn’. Also, the more recent ‘The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution’ by Greg Cochran and Henry Harpending incorporates recent genome findings.

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