# Race differences in average IQ are largely genetic

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/race-differences-in-average-iq-are-largely-genetic/623236>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [May 27, 2012, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/race-differences-in-average-iq-are-largely-genetic/623236 "2012-05-27T12:28:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 469

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**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2012, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/race-differences-in-average-iq-are-largely-genetic/623236/469 "2012-06-08T15:34:24Z")

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> [@New\_Deal\_Democrat](#):
>
> Long before genes were discovered everyone noticed that children resembled their parents and siblings. This was because they shared genes.

So, that’s a no? You don’t have any genetic studies correlating race and intelligence?

While genetics gave us an explanation for why children resemble their parents, somebody had to actually go out and find those genes to prove it. The existence of the field of genetics was insufficient as actual proof (though it served as a reasonable hypothesis until then).

That’s called evidence. Somebody went out and proved (NOT ASSUMED) that genes existed that shape appearance and other phenotypic variation.

You have a hypothesis. Where’s the corresponding genetic evidence? What makes a genetic hypothesis better than any other hypothesis, including social and economic factors (which YOU YOURSELF already admitted can have an overwhelming effect)?

Also, notice that this argument doesn’t satisfy the definition of genetic evidence already provided.

> [@SDMB Bigoted Asshole Omnibus Thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-bigoted-asshole-omnibus-thread/623489/1002):
>
> The definition of “race” you use is genetically invalid. But populations do have validity in genetics- so this is the evidence that I would accept:
> 
> First, an identification of all the genes that are involved in intelligence (or at least the most important genes) and propensity for criminality, and exactly how these genes are involved (which ones of them are active when “turned on” or combined with specific other genes, and so on), and how they relate to environment and upbringing. Then detailed, broad genetic testing of various populations (not races), showing that certain populations have significantly varying numbers of these genes. Then detailed, broad surveys and testing that shows that the previous analyses have predictive power.

So, where’s the study linking your definition of race (what’s the genetic basis for race?) and intelligence?

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