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A move toward species-specific analyses in behavior genetics

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Abstract

It is essential that behavior genetics move toward a closer association with other biological disciplines and cast its experiments and interpretations within an evolutionary context. In my opinion, behavior genetics has been too preoccupied with the extent of genetic variability and may, in many cases of high heritability, be dealing with genetic junk. The species as a unit of behavioral response, and as the outcome of genetic polishing, deserves more consideration. Adaptation is always the crux of natural selection and offers the best hope of understanding the evolution of behavior and the restriction of genetic variability. Moreover, it is essential to understand the overwhelming significance of regulatory mechanisms of gene action in natural selection and to relate these to behavioral speciation. Examples for these arguments are discussed here.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas

    D. D. Thiessen

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  1. D. D. Thiessen
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Additional information

Research from this laboratory described in this paper was made possible by Grant MH 14076-04 and Research Scientist Development Award MH 11, 174-04 to D. D. Thiessen from the National Institutes of Mental Health.

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Thiessen, D.D. A move toward species-specific analyses in behavior genetics. Behav Genet 2, 115–126 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065685

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065685

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