(Christine Zhao, c_zhao@ymail.com)
Friday, March 23, 2012
Evidence: "High performance genes"
Evidence – Journalist Jon Entine claims that black athletes have an advantage due to inherited “high performance genes.” (102) The evidence on page 298 show that blacks descended from West Africans have inherited certain characteristics that make their bodies ideal for strength-based aerobic sports and East Africans for endurance sports. What evolutionary forces may have caused blacks to possess these physical advantages? Use the evolution chart to explain. Also consider if this shows that genes do indeed determine geniuses or not. Tie in David Shenk’s G x E model by explaining gene regulation and its possible impacts. Create examples specific to the black athletes discussed.
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ReplyDeleteIn terms of the evolutionary forces that led blacks to be extraordinary athletes, the main reasoning at the current time is based in the Lamarckian ideals discussed in relation to psychology and drive. Because over a period of time the West African culture became one in which the ability to run well was one which enabled an increased probability of survival and reproduction, that trait was therefore selected for as those who possessed it would be more successful. However, this is not the only factor in the appearance of cultural tendencies. As a result of the recognition of the advantage that running offered, the society became focused on that primary characteristic as an indicator of a path to future success, therefore, according to the book Taboo, that trait would become a part of social expectations (http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/04/16/reviews/000416.16holtlt.html). Just as one would never expect the world’s number one ice hockey player to come from a tropical climate, the related societies developed prizing different athletic skills. For example, the sport of skiing in dominated by Nordic countries because that skill became socially desirable for continuation of ones genes. It’s obvious that genes do not determine geniuses because of the fact that epigenetic factors are in a position that can regulate genes into determining genius. Although the factors making genius possible are in the genes, they are by no means an accurate prediction of one’s relative success. Another example of gene regulation’s impacts on black athletes is the negative effect of Sickle Cell Anemia, caused by a genetic mutation that represents a case in which a gene does determine success in a certain field. However, this factor relates more directly to GxE because in the environment that ethnicity live in, a mutation of a specific gene offered the advantage of being immune to malaria, but at the cost of a risk of Sickle cell. In the malaria risk areas many of the societies the immunity to malaria offered a greater selected advantage than the respiratory advantage and therefore the sickle cell genes become more prevalent.
ReplyDelete(Alex Nye, alex.nye95@gmail.com)
Africans equipped with certain characteristics that help them excel at certain sports is due to natural selection. Take Kenyans as an example, they excel at running. They are physically equipped with the ability to do great at long distance running not because of their genes, but because of their environment. Kenyan’s lack of transportation requires them to walk or run more. As Kenyans run more and more, they improve their heart and their heart is able to deliver a greater volume of blood to their muscles per beat, which provides more oxygen and nutrients to the muscle cells. The muscle cells will eventually strengthen and become stronger over time. This will help Kenyans become better at long distance running because it takes longer time for these athletes to reach their maximum heart rate. The ability for Kenyans to adapt to their environment is due to natural selection. Because of the lack of transportation, running is required for life to become more efficient, so this specific trait is advantageous and hence passed off to the offspring. Also, Kenyans have greater motivation and push toward becoming better at running. Shenk stated that “to train elite Kenyan athletes, the important factors include high-altitude training and mild year-round climate are critical, but equally important is a deeply ingrained culture of asceticism” (105). Kenyan’s great ability at excelling at running also has to do with their culture of raiding cattles. Because of the Kalenjin tribe’s culture, which considered cattle raiding to requires greater active duty of these Kenyans, they were more active and ran with the cattles during cattle drives. Shenk stated that “The more cattle a man had, the more wives he could pay for” (103). This is natural selection because the greater ability one has at cattle raiding and running along with the cattles, the more cattles he is capable to have, which will lead to an increase in the amount of food obtained and the amount of wives one will have. The more wives, the more offspring. So the ability to excel at cattle raiding actively with the running skills, through natural selection, the running traits will enable Kenyans to survive and reproduce and pass their running trait down to their offspring. The environment causes gene regulation, which might have turned some genes on that enables Kenyans to become better runners; this will probably change the transcription and translation process and cause different proteins to be assembled that might be more helpful when it comes to running. This demonstrates the GxE equation where Shenk states “Genes do not directly cause systems, they merely influence them” (107). So the Kenyans with the best running abilities are able to be more efficient, survive and reproduce and pass the positive, running trait to their offspring. This is why Africans are equipped with certain characteristics that help them excel at sports. As Shenck stated in the book, these people are not necessarily geniuses, they are great at certain sports due to their environment and society, which promoted them to have “higher incentives and dedications toward running”(103). As Campbell stated ““genetic components of behavior evolve through natural selection for traits that enhance survival and reproductive success in a population” (Campbell 1132). So as the running trait is beneficial to society because of it being more efficient, gene regulation occurs, and they are able to pass on their genes to their offspring, which is the example of natural selection.
ReplyDeleteBing Zhao (bingzhao9@yahoo.com)