Aporia Podcast We're smarter than our ancient ancestors | Davide Piffer
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Jul 14, 2025 Join Davide Piffer, an evolutionary anthropologist known for his work on genetic differences and IQ, as he delves into the intriguing world of polygenic scores. He tackles the complexities and controversies surrounding genetic research, particularly regarding intelligence and educational outcomes among various ethnic groups. The discussion also highlights the biases in existing studies, especially those focused on European populations, and examines how environmental factors like nutrition shape intelligence alongside genetic influences.
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Polygenic Scores Vary by Trait
- Polygenic scores show varied rankings across traits; Europeans don't always rank highest.
- Africans score highest in extroversion, demonstrating no inherent bias favoring Europeans in these scores.
No Bias Despite European GWAS Samples
- There's no inherent bias in polygenic scores favoring Europeans despite GWAS using mostly European samples.
- Empirical and theoretical evidence disprove critiques of confounding due to sample ancestry.
Low African Admixture Limits Confounding
- GWAS for education and IQ are almost exclusively European, so African admixture confounding is minimal.
- Studies show that appearance linked to ancestry doesn't explain Africa's lower average polygenic scores.