Fifteen Seconds Podcast #32 mit Evolutionsbiologen Axel Meyer
Dec 4, 2021
Axel Meyer, a renowned evolutionary biologist, shares fascinating insights on the intricate connections between lungfish and land animals, shedding light on their evolutionary significance. He discusses the nuanced roles of genetics and environment in shaping traits and talents, such as in chess mastery. Meyer also delves into the implications of maternal immune responses and explores humanity's future evolution, including ethical considerations around genetic technology. His passion for evolutionary biology reveals the joy of unraveling nature's mysteries.
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Genes Influence But Don't Determine
- Most traits are polygenic and rarely determined by a single gene.
- Genetic influence can be large but never strictly deterministic for individuals.
Exceptional Skills Cluster Genetically
- Exceptional cognitive skills like chess grandmastery cluster at the far tail of a normal distribution.
- Children of geniuses have higher odds but environment and training also shape final achievement.
Seahorse Genome Reveals Missing Fin Gene
- Axel Meyer sequenced seahorse genomes to link genes with their unusual body plan.
- He found a missing developmental gene that explains loss of pelvic fins in seahorses.
