Europe
Intelligent by birth
LONDON — Clear evidence that human intelligence is largely determined before birth emerged yesterday from a new genetic study of twins. The findings showed that genetic factors accounted for differences between individuals in key areas such as intelligence and language ability. Grey matter volume — a measure of the density of brain cells — was strongly determined by genes, and reflected cognitive performance.
Researchers led by Dr Paul Thompson, from the University of California at Los Angeles, compared 20 twin pairs, half of whom were identical and half non-identical. Identical twins have the same genes, whereas non-identical twins, like ordinary siblings, share about half. Features which are the same in identical, but not non-identical twins are therefore likely to be governed by genetic factors.
New 3D imaging techniques enabled the scientists to look for subtle similarities and differences in brain structure. Recent studies have suggested that many cognitive skills are surprisingly heritable. The latest findings from California were reported on Sunday in the journal Nature Neuroscience.