Human Evolution

, Volume 2, Issue 5, pp 419–428 | Cite as

The indication of genetic and environmental components in behaviour

  • I. Barrai
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Abstract

The problem of genetic influences on behaviour was examined under the aspect of inter-specific differences, which are predomintantly genetic and are the basis of sociobiology. It was also examined under the aspect of intra-specific differences, notably the normal differences of behaviour which, like the sex differences, have a genetic basis. Further evidence for possible genetic influences on behaviour was given by considering limiting behaviours to which a limiting phenotype, usually pathological, corresponds. A comparison between genetic and non-genetic phenomena at the population level, shows a marked difference in the temporal variation of the two types of phenomena: those wich are under the control of gene frequencies tend to remain constant whereas those which are not under genetic control vary widely from one generation to the next, or from one year to the next. In Italy, in the period 1887–1980, it was observed that frequency of homicidal cases was extremely variable in time; whereas suicide in the same period was much less variable, and seemed correlated with genetic entities. It was reasoned that, although the study of human differences, including genetic ones, is amply desirable, the variations of extreme anomic behaviours are not demonstrably under genetic control; if a genetic component exists for such behaviours it must be quantitatively very small.

Key words

Behaviour genetic basis temporal variation 
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Copyright information

© Editrice II Sedicesimo 1987

Authors and Affiliations

  • I. Barrai
    • 1
  1. 1.Institute of ZoologyUniversity of FerraraFerraraItaly

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