Neanderthal theory and race

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At most all you could provide would be a potential association, because there are no controls over false self-reports.

The test has only been out since December. 23andme has been in business for about 5 years now. Similiar to WrongPlanet, because once one signs up their genetic profiles stay with them long after one's subscription ends or they lose interest. There are 125,000 customers in their data base as of October. But the number that are actually even going to look at their neanderthal results, out of that group are much lower. Potentially, only those that have any interest in the issue.

The only way to get scientifically valid results would be through a controlled study, which would cost a great deal of money. And per the previous post, not enough is understood about either Neanderthal DNA or the underlying causes of Neurodiverse conditions, to directly associate neanderthal DNA with any specific neurodiverse condition, by using the results of the 23andme test.

So, no one is likely going to invest money in that research, until more is understood, both about neanderthal DNA and what the enviromental/biological factors are that underly neurodiverse conditions.

It's a start, for a potential loose association, but the new question on the 123andme test, you are providing on the Aspie quiz, is not going to provide conclusive evidence for the Neanderthal Theory.

That's not how to think about the issue, Think like this instead: The 4% that differs between humans and chimpanzees makes a great deal of difference, while the 96% that don't makes no difference. What I claim is that the 4% that Neanderthals contributed to us is what makes a difference in our species. The 96% they didn't contribute are just useless mutations with no function / same function in both species (mostly, anyway).

I didn't say it wasn't, just that many other things are as well, so in the big picture introversion / extroversion is just a minor piece in the puzzle. If you measure some neurodiversity trait in order to check if it is caused by introversion, you might falsely conclude it is even if it is not, since most neurodiversity traits are correlated to introversion without necesarily having much to do with introversion.



Of course. As I wrote above, most neurodiversity traits are associated with introversion, without necesarily having much to do with introversion.



I'm not interested in isolating traits. I work with the whole neurodiversity concept, not individual traits. That has been the aim of Aspie Quiz for a long time, to add all relevant neurodiversity traits, and to make sure all traits measured are as little associated with each others as possible.



From what it seems like, I'll end up with a moderate correlation between neurodiversity and Neanderthal. Since introversion is a small part of neurodiversity, the test will also relate to introversion. In fact, it will probably relate to any part of neurodiversity.



It's the same thing. There is a -0.96 correlation between Aspie and neurotypical scores. There will be a similar (negative) correlation between neurotypical score and the 23andme test. For this reason, I usually use the score difference in correlation reports.



There is no way of isolating any neurodiversity trait from neurodiversity or neurotypicality. That's impossible, regardless of method used.



Probably not true, as the neanderthal score builds on 1,000,000 SNPs. It is an average for the whole contribution, just like Aspie Quiz measures most of the traits part of neurodiversity (the most important at least).



Researching contribution to specific neurodiverse conditions is the next step. It cannot be done before the correlation to SNPs is known. It is probable that CNVs are primary to neurodiversity, not SNPs, but we will see a correlation with SNPs as well as these "hitch-hike" on the haplotypes from Neanderthals. IOW, associating things like ADHD with genetics probably cannot be done with SNPs, but need whole genome scans that include CNVs. And as we don't have much of the CNV variation in Neanderthal, it would be increadible difficult to prove this relationship. What we need before we can start associating ADHD with genetics, is a way to remove "secondary" associations that go through the association with neurodiversity. That is the tough aspect that genetic research today does not do, but will need to do. Especially since many traits are correlated to neurodiversity.



Neither ADHD nor ASD are useful categories in this regard. ADHD includes much of ASD, and ASD include traits from ADHD. None of them are well defined. A better approach is to research what trait DRD4 7R contributes to. Maybe it is the "novelity seeking gene"? Maybe some other function has better support? When we leave the overall picture (which is neurodiversity, not DSM diagnosis), we need to start looking at simple traits, associating them with SNPS or CNVs.



Not at all. The method is completely different.



Actually, no. I've used most of the common personality and psychiatric surveys available, the imagination of people in the autistic community, and the resulting traits in Aspie Quiz is a collection of widely different traits that more or less cover all this variation. Today, whatever trait you can come up with, is likely already covered, if it is related to neurodiversity. Anybody is free to suggest a trait that is not covered, and I'll check if it is or not.

From what it seems like, I'll end up with a moderate correlation between neurodiversity and Neanderthal. Since introversion is a small part of neurodiversity, the test will also relate to introversion. In fact, it will probably relate to any part of neurodiversity.



It's the same thing. There is a -0.96 correlation between Aspie and neurotypical scores. There will be a similar (negative) correlation between neurotypical score and the 23andme test. For this reason, I usually use the score difference in correlation reports.



There is no way of isolating any neurodiversity trait from neurodiversity or neurotypicality. That's impossible, regardless of method used.



Probably not true, as the neanderthal score builds on 1,000,000 SNPs. It is an average for the whole contribution, just like Aspie Quiz measures most of the traits part of neurodiversity (the most important at least).



Researching contribution to specific neurodiverse conditions is the next step. It cannot be done before the correlation to SNPs is known. It is probable that CNVs are primary to neurodiversity, not SNPs, but we will see a correlation with SNPs as well as these "hitch-hike" on the haplotypes from Neanderthals. IOW, associating things like ADHD with genetics probably cannot be done with SNPs, but need whole genome scans that include CNVs. And as we don't have much of the CNV variation in Neanderthal, it would be increadible difficult to prove this relationship. What we need before we can start associating ADHD with genetics, is a way to remove "secondary" associations that go through the association with neurodiversity. That is the tough aspect that genetic research today does not do, but will need to do. Especially since many traits are correlated to neurodiversity.



Neither ADHD nor ASD are useful categories in this regard. ADHD includes much of ASD, and ASD include traits from ADHD. None of them are well defined. A better approach is to research what trait DRD4 7R contributes to. Maybe it is the "novelity seeking gene"? Maybe some other function has better support? When we leave the overall picture (which is neurodiversity, not DSM diagnosis), we need to start looking at simple traits, associating them with SNPS or CNVs.



Not at all. The method is completely different.





Neurology, researched, and associated with extroverted traits is neurodiverse as well as neurology associated with introversion. Neurotypical is a construct of behaviors, but there is no measure of typical neurology, only unremarkable results on an MRI, and asociated brain scans, which are no guarantee of typical neurology.

At this point in time there is more specific research results into the actual atypical neurological associations with introversion/extroversion, regarding dopamine and the pleasure centers of the brain, than there is with atypical neurolgy for Aspergers. It is an assumption based largely on behavior rather than structural differences in the brain.

If one posesses measurable atypical neurology in a remarkable MRI and adapts through neuroplasticity, there is no guarantee that the behaviors of that individual will match what might be expected from the atypical neurology measured in an MRI.

People's behaviors change through out life, and people adapt to life in many amazing ways. The Aspie Quiz measures a behavioral slice out of a person's lifetime, but not specific neurology, or DNA.

You have measured behavioral phenotypes that are likely associated with neurodiverse neurology, but the DNA and the neurology associated with those behaviors cannot necessarily be measured through physiological means, so there can be no guarantee that anyone that takes the quiz is of typical neurology.

Science has associated many genetic markers with autism, however none of them are suggested as a cause, because science does not fully understand how genotypes impact phenotypes.

As long as we don't understand whether or not Neanderthal DNA plays a significant role in any condition related to modern human beings, a little more or a little less associated with any specific human trait is meaningless, other than a suggestion that a person's ancestory was a little less or a little more of indigenous African origin.

That is the only direct current association between Neanderthal DNA and human beings that the 23andme organization is comfortable with in their graph that shows a little more neanderthal DNA in Europeans than Asians, and significantly more than most African Americans.

If one could determine that greater amounts of neanderthal ancestory was behind any health condition, the 23andme organization would easily be able to do that with the database they currently have of genetically related health conditions, but they can't do it, because they already clarify in the test results at this time that a little more or a little less Neanderthal DNA in humans serves no known purpose.

What you are attempting to do now is the same thing, but nothing can be definitively determined except for a little more African ancestory in one side or another..

Since your quiz is skewed toward a low response of African Americans, you should get a skewed result of higher scores for both neurotypicals and Aspies in your results, with a higher average than 2.5.

Scientifically and statistically meaningless though for any specific significant relationship between Neanderthal DNA and Neurodiversity as evidenced above.

I bought a test yesterday, and filled-out some of their most interesting surveys. It is easy to understand (from my point of view) why they cannot associate anything they ask about to Neanderthal ancestry. The survey that would be most likely to generate such results is their Big Five personality-test, but as I showed when I used such a test in Aspie Quiz, the factors that come out of a Big Five test are not directly related to neurodiversity. The whole factor structure collapses when analysed in the context of Aspie Quiz, and their items cluster to several Aspie and neurotypical groups. That's why a Big Five test will not correlate with Neanderthal heritage. Additionally, most things in a Big Five test would probably correlate with CNVs, not SNPs, which is yet another reason this will fail.



Aspie Quiz will be able to detect the SNPs, even if most of the traits are related to CNVs, because of the mutational load in these CNVs. This is because it is broad enough to do that, which Big Five is not. I don't expect to be able to use it to pin-point actual traits, as their material is SNP-based.



The actual average doesn't matter. Correlation analysis takes out the average component.

Behavioral phenotypes are more difficult to associate with genetics than physiological conditions.

There are already known genetic linkages to actual physiological health conditions that the 23andme organization could easily correlate with projected neanderthal DNA, if it was of any scientific value, but it's not.

Nor is it of any scientific value in determining behavioral phenotypes in modern human beings, until more is understood about the actual DNA that is specific to each individual that possesses a certain percentage of Neanderthal DNA, and whether or not that specific DNA is related to any health condition, or behavioral phenotype.

The point has clearly been explained a few times in this thread. If there is DNA associated with neurodiverse traits in Neanderthal DNA, it could be completely missing from a person estimated with a 3.0 percentage of Neanderthal DNA and present in an individual estimated with a 2.0 percentage of DNA. There is absolutely no way to know this from the 23andme results.


The 23andme test only provides the most generalized of estimates and information regarding the DNA; only ancestory, no indication if an individual possesses the known gene variants in Neanderthal DNA, associated with modern mutations related to autism, and other neurodiverse conditions. And even those modern mutations are only associated at 1 in 100.

It is literally impossible to prove any human characteristic is associated with the 23andme test.

While this seems obvious to me, and I and others have provided a number of reasons why it won't work with the methodology you are using, now that you are a customer of the organization, they may be able to provide a clearer answer to help you understand why you can't determine anything of scientific signficance other than ancestory by associated those results with any human condition.

The fact is, it won't work with any methodology. The organization is comprised of genetic experts, and they clearly state a result of an estimated higher level of Neanderthal DNA is not associated with any human condition at this point in time. If they can't use their own data to provide a valid association with any of the health conditions in their database, there is no way anyone else can do it either.

Here is a forum I found on a Biodiversity site that has 23 pages of results from the time the test was available on December 16, 2011 through January. Lots of details on specific locations. Only one individual rated 0.0 percent, an indigenous Kenyan African that took the test.

http://www.forumbiodiversity.com/showthread.php?t=26598

Some of the results reported are definitely valid because screen shots are posted of those results.

3.3 percent is actually at the 100 percentile; 1 individual did score that high. There is even a spreadsheet attached that compares details on the results gathered from the forum, and information that provides averages from each country. The average from europe was 2.6 percent, 2.5 percent for US, and 2.4 percent for South America.

The results are intereresting, but at this point in time, it has little significance other than geography.

I don't think further repetition leads anywhere. If neurodiversity is Neanderthal heritage, the typical gene linkage procedures will not work. Even if neurodiversity is not Neanderthal heritage, data in Aspie Quiz shows that correlation analysis with neurodiversity traits will not work (in the sense of providing causative links, or even meaningful relations).

As evidenced in my last post indigenous Kenyan Africans score 0.0 percent on the 23andme neanderthal ancestoral test.

I just saw a picture on USA today of Obama's grandmother from Kenya, and couldn't help but to think about your statement here that suggests that the DNA that makes the difference in human beings, is the archaic Neanderthal DNA passed down from the admixture event.

So what does that say about Obama's grandmother and her 100% indigenous African son that obtained a degree from Harvard? It is obvious that he was of very high intelligence to accomplish that feat, and that Neanderthal DNA was not required. If anything it proves that Neanderthal DNA means little to nothing, to what humans can accomplish in life, in regard to neurodiversity.

It provides solid evidence against your claim that Indigenous Africans are any less inherently fit than Europeans. This 100% indigenous African's son, is currently the most powerful leader in the free world. It didn't happen just because of his mother's percentage of ancient neanderthal DNA.

If Obama took the 23andme test his neanderthal ancestory would come out very low. It's the way the test works; it's based on African ancestory.

He is no doubt one of the most neurodiverse individuals that exist on the planet.

He doesn't need to take the Aspie Quiz, to prove that obvious fact. No more than Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, or Bill Clinton. They aren't just neurodiverse humans, they are humans that have/had the ability to influence changes that affect the entire world.

Obama and his Father, prove without a shadow of a doubt, that indigenous Africans have every potential to make the same accomplishments, through their unique human neurodiversity.

The Obama pill has been a hard pill to swallow, for minority of individuals, in the US, that continue to disciminate against indigenous Africans as inferior, as their ancestors have done for hundreds of years.

So, do you still stand by your claim, that the ancestors of indigenous Africans have not provided any useful DNA associated with neurodiversity traits to our European and US populations?

If so, how do you explain Obama's father's Harvard degree, and Obama who is the most powerful leader in the free world?

There are differences among geographical groups of human beings. But, they are all comprised of neurodiverse individuals, including indigenous Africans, there is no question about that, and definitive evidence for it.

And it appears that Neanderthal DNA, while it may be associated in some small, currently uknown way, is of little significance to what any neurodiverse human on the planet can accomplish in life, when put in an environment of advantage.

There is already evidence that neurodiversity is not limited to Neanderthal heritage. Neurodiverse traits exist in indigenous Africans, with no measurable neanderthal heritage. There are diagnosed individuals with Autism and ADHD in geographical locations that test for no measurable neanderthal heritage, using the 23andme neanderthal test. That is evidence in itself.

Although the term neurodiverse has different definitions depending on whom one speaks to, no proponent of neurodiversity has suggested that individuals diagnosed with Autism or ADHD are not neurodiverse individuals. Doesn't matter if they have Neanderthal DNA or if they are indigenous Africans from Kenya or Uganda, without Neanderthal DNA.

From a scientific perspective the overwhelming evidence suggests that everyone is neurodiverse because of culture and the process of neuroplasticity. For all practical intents and purposes neuroplasticity is neurodiversity. No human being can escape this process in flux, from the prenatal environment until the time of their death.

One did, the others with African background did not. Which disproves your claim that Neanderthal heritage in Africa is 0%. In fact, looking at the link you provided, Africans scored around 1-1.5%, which is not what you claim.



You still don't understand this, even if I wrote a long post about it. I never said NTs / African individuals were less fit. I explicitly wrote that this was not likely, as the NT phenotype would then have been selected out. I wrote Africans as a population were less fit because they didn't have the neurodiversity component. Is this really so hard to understand?

There is no evidence whatsoever for this claim. It is your belief, which you have substantiated with anecdotal evidence. The burden of proof is not with me, but equally with you. Just because you want things to be like this, doesn't mean they are like this. You need to prove your claim.



Dragging neuroplasticy and culture into the picture will not exactly help you to prove your assertions. Rather it would make them fully impossible to prove, which probably is the point.

It's not my claim that indigenous Africans have 0 percent neanderthal DNA, it is the claim of the individuals that did the research on the genetic material of indigenous Africans, as I have already provided peer reviewed evidence for.

This is the only report available from the 23andme test that I have seen of any indigenous African taking the test. He was the only individual reported in that forum as an indigenous African, so that is additional evidence to support the peer reviewed research I provided, that stated the Neanderthal DNA is absent from individuals south of the Saharan.

As per, our earlier discussion when you attempted to refute that point in the peer reviewed research, because of the few individuals that possessed the DNA at the outskirts of the Saharan Desert, who had mixed with those from the North, identified in that same research.

I wasn't suggesting that specific individual was diagnosed with any neurodiverse condition. The other individuals reporting 1 to 1.5 percent did not identify themselves as indigenous Africans, in that forum. If you can provide a quote for evidence please do, but I looked through the entire thread, and did not see any.

The fact that he is an indigenous Kenyan African is relevant because so is Obama's father, whom graduated from Harvard, and obviously is a neurodiverse individual, regardless of his lack of neanderthal heritage.

I didn't mention anything about the fitness of what you refer to as "NT/ Africans". I stated that Obama's father is an obviously neurodiverse individual, without neanderthal DNA, who graduated from Harvard.

Obama's grandmother and son are both 100% indigenous Africans, as per the reference I provided earlier of the ethnic group that Obama's grandmother and grandfather is part of in Kenya. You suggest that people without Neanderthal Ancestory are missing the neurodiversity component. I've provided evidence that they do have the neurodiversity component, both indigenous people's, without neanderthal ancestory, from Kenya and from Uganda.

In other words there is evidence that neurodiversity exists in Africans without Neanderthal Ancestory, that refutes your earlier suggestion that Neanderthal ancestory is a required component for Neurodiversity.

Are you now suggesting that neanderthal ancestory is not a required component for Neurodiversity? If, so, we are in agreement. That is what the current available evidence suggests.

Last edited by aghogday on 08 Feb 2012, 9:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.

A few points:

-The theory that different rates of autism/other conditions diagnosis is actually a whole lot easier to prove than the Neanderthal idea, which rests on assumptions on top of assumptions. Theoretically, we could do prevalence studies on a range of different groups. We can't definitively prove the Neanderthal idea.

-The conception of race as promoted in the "Aspie quiz" is inaccurate and outlandish. The quiz makes users select only one ethnicity out of many. Without acknowledging for the fact that many--perhaps most--people could probably honestly list several different choices. There is a reason why the U.S. census and many other forms of data collection changed so that people can check off more than one different ethnicity.

I provided research that studied the Ariaal Kenyans without Neanderthal ancestory that evidenced both, neurodiversity traits associated with ADHD, and the DRD4 7R gene at a high frequency.

I also linked you to the Centre for Autism in Uganda, where diagnosed autistic indigenous Africans, understood not to have the Neanderthal Ancestory per research, exists.

That is clear evidence that Neanderthal Ancestory is not a requirement for Neurodiversity.

The peer reviewed evidence indicates it does not exist in Kenya or Uganda, only the outskirts of the Sub-Saharan region, and to the north of that region.

That's not anecdotal evidence, it's objective evidence per the research that is currently available.

Evidence has been provided that the ancestory does not exist in the individuals, and that the individuals have the neurodiverse traits associated with Autism and ADHD, and genetics associated with ADHD.

It would be up to you to find a way to refute that evidence as it exists in the literature, that is available, in an attempt to prove that neanderthal ancestory is a requirement for neurodiversity, as the definition of neurodiversity is commonly understood, for those that are proponents of that ideology.

The process of neuroplasticity has an effect on all human behavior to some degree, including the neurodiverse traits associated with the Aspie Quiz. There is no question about that.

It is part of the way that many individuals with Autism have successfully integrated into social environments. It doesn't happen by magic; it is part of a learned process that is wired into the brain through the process of neuroplasticity.

It has been identified as part of what makes a diagnosis hard to obtain for adults, whom have adapted in this manner, for decades, with an ASD.

It is also a source of improvement understood with behavioral therapies for Autistic Children, whom gain further independence in life.

It is what allows any human being the potential to successfully adapt to new complex cultural environments, from birth and beyond.

And it is part of why there are indigenous African Kenyans that are Nomads and some that go on to graduate from Harvard, along with one in particular that sired the most powerful leader in the free World.

Environment and neuroplasticity are an inseparable component of the process, along with genetics, epigenetics, and thousands of other factors known and unknown.

That's proof enough that the environment and neuroplasticity is more important than any current understood purpose of neanderthal DNA at this point in time, because there is no significant scientific evidence of what benefit or disadvantage neanderthal provides for survival, currently, as clearly indicated on every result of the 23andme test that one receives.

Whereas, there are hundreds of references of the advantages that the process of neuroplasticity provide for survival within the span of a human lifetime.

So, technically from a scientific perspective, per current evidence available, neuroplasticity is associated with neurodiversity, and Neanderthal Ancestory is not, except for loose associations between a mutation of the modern variant of the AUTS2 and CADPS2 DNA found in the archaic counterparts of DNA in Neanderthals.



I bring Obama into the conversation, because by now, at least in the US, many have heard about the fact that he was the son of an indigenous African from Kenya that went on to graduate from Harvard.

That raises a red flag, when you suggest that indigenous Africans are at a fitness disadvantage opposed to Europeans because of lack of Neanderthal Ancestory and a resulting lack of neurodiverse traits, once they understand that is what you are actually claiming beyond the disorder of Autism and neanderthal ancestory.

It's just one anecdotal example of one individual, but it's a commonly understood one, where one doesn't have to go to the trouble to bring in actual evidence from Uganda, or the Ariaal Nomads, as I have done, to understand Neanderthal Ancestory, is not likely a requirement for Neurodiversity.

Good point. 300 years ago I had living ancestors on 3 different continents. You also point out that regardless of neanderthal theory we could just test for prevalence of neurodiversity. There is clearly autism in Africa though. I'm not sure why rdos is so adamant about this nor how neanderthal theory is supposed to blunten the teeth of racists. They're ignorant fools who don't know what they're talking about but will keep on talking nonetheless and if anything neanderthal theory could he jijacked in favour of their position. They're like literal biblical creationists who get shown evidence of evolution then still say it never happened with a straight face.

We've been discussing the racial aspect of the Neanderthal Theory, here is an analysis of it point by point as you present it on your website:

http://www.rdos.net/eng

You suggest here that if the racial aspect is not true the theory would not be true.



Indigenous Africans live in undeveloped countries, without the same advantages of individuals that live in developed countries, the ecological resources that influence development are different in every culture and country.

Creativity is not only measured by inventions it is also measured in many other different ways. African indigenous cultures are rich in creativity through expressions of art, music, and dance.

Here is just one source of hundreds that study the rich creativity evidenced in indigenous African Cultures. I studied Anthropology in the early eighties, it was the salient feature of indigenous african cultures then, and still is now.

http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/teachers/curriculum/m13/notes.php




The first link was broken but it speaks for itself. One would not expect nobel prize winners in science in developing countries, but never the less there are nobel prize winners in peace from indigenous African countries.

http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/OtherPages/Others/noble.htm

The second link references levels of IQ as lower in Subsarahan countries as well as other factors of human development. Ecological resources are lower in Sub-sarahan than other areas of the world, resulting in malnutrition. A nutritious diet is a necessity to all areas of human development, including brain development. Western cultural measures specific to western cultures are used to measure IQ.



The R/K selection theory as studied and incoporated by Rushton has been dismissed by science since the 90's, because of research that has refuted the accuracy of the theory; it has been replaced by the Life History Theory, with elements of the R/K selection theory incorporated into the new theory.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R/K_selection_theory

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_history_theory




The same complaints against measuring intelligence with traditional western cultural methods of IQ testing in indigenous Africans, has been made for Autistic children, as well

Government statistics in the US, based on traditional western measures of IQ, report an average of 41% of the statistically measured autistic children, at below 70 IQ. That is no small group.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

Recent research finds abnormal brain growth specific to cases of regressive autism. The brains of individuals with early onset autism are not significantly different than control groups. And currently, in a large longitudinal study abnormal brain growth is only seen in 10 percent of cases of autism. Abnormal brain growth was measured in no females.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/11/28/bigger-brains-in-certain-types-of-autism-study-finds/



The African Race on average, has been measured to reach puberty earlier than Caucasians, particularly in females, in studies.

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder, with delays that have been measured in brain development, social interaction, and motor development, but there is no available scientific evidence of late puberty as a clinical feature of autism or Aspergers.



Testosterone levels have been measured higher in the African Race than in caucasians so it stands to reason there could be an association there with sexual activity.

However, culture appears to play a bigger role in promiscuity. Studies show that promiscuity is higher in Western developed countries than the developing world.

Promiscuity has been measured at the highest levels in Finland, among Western Developed Countries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promiscuity#cite_note-Westerners_.27are_more_promiscuous.27-4

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6101970.stm

The comparison specific to Africans has no merit, since Finnish people have neanderthal ancestry, and indigenous Africans in developing countries are reported, not to have any neanderthal ancestry.



People of all races have better motor performance that people with disorders that have deficits in motor performance. The comparison of Aspergers to Africans has no merit or significance.



Special Interests and perseverance are specific clinical features associated with Aspergers. Impulsivity, a different trait, is associated with ADHD, and Bi Polar disorders, both co-morbid conditions with Aspergers.

There is no valid scientific evidence that Indigenous Africans on average are any more impulsive than Caucasians on average; however there is valid scientific evidence that individuals with Aspergers with these co-morbids have significant clinical impairments associated with Impulsivity.

Therefore, there is no merit or significance in comparison of impulsivity and Aspergers, specific to Indigenous Africans.



As already evidenced above, and richly evidenced in 100's of resources, Indigenous Africans are known for their creative efforts in music, dance, and art. There is no evidence that they are inherrently less creative than caucasians. Therefore there is no merit or significance in a comparison of creativity and Aspergers, specific to indigenous Africans.



Per evidence provided above there is no merit or significance of the comparison of any traits mentioned above, specific to Indigenous Africans.

Therefore any measured difference between races has no significant association with the traits you list above associated with Autism/Aspergers.



Most of the differences Rushton proposed, are outdated, and have been solidly refuted with newer studies. The comparisons you proposed above with autism, are not associated with Rushton's theories on racial differences.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Philippe_Rushton