RE: [asa] New report on human evolution

It constantly amazes me how two people can look at the same data and
arrive at different interpretations. Take this from the article for
example:

Two years ago Harpending and colleague Gregory M. Cochran published a
study arguing that above-average intelligence in Ashkenazi Jews - those
of northern European heritage - resulted from natural selection in
medieval Europe, where they were pressured into jobs as financiers,
traders, managers and tax collectors.

Those who were smarter succeeded, grew wealthy and had bigger families
to pass on their genes, they suggested.

I would have attributed above average-intelligence to their descending
from Adam who was reputed to have superior intelligence and to the
tendency of Jewish males to choose intelligent mates in the tradition of
Jacob. The idea they were "pressured into jobs" requiring mental acumen
I find a bit curious. More likely they excelled at jobs requiring
intelligence because they were mentally gifted in the first place due to
good genes.

Dick Fischer

Dick Fischer, Genesis Proclaimed Association

Finding Harmony in Bible, Science, and History

 <http://www.genesisproclaimed.org/> www.genesisproclaimed.org

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Jim Armstrong
Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 12:17 PM
To: ASA
Subject: [asa] New report on human evolution

 <http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071211/D8TEU6U00.html> Researchers:
Human Evolution Speeding Up

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Received on Tue Dec 11 14:01:08 2007