Is there evidence that culture is MORE important than adaptations? A reasonable person might be agnostic between explanations in the absence of evidence, rather than assuming it must be entirely one or the other.
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Replying to @TeaGeeGeePea @gcochran99 and
So Occam's Razor points to culture alone. But I grant that brain adaptation *could* have happened. I just don't see clear evidence of brain differences between populations.
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Replying to @RCownie @TeaGeeGeePea and
> I just don't see clear evidence of brain differences between populations. So differences in brain volume and neuron count just don't count? Or are those caused by "culture"?
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Replying to @CovfefeAnon @TeaGeeGeePea and
Cross off "skull caliper" again on second bingo card.
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Replying to @RCownie @CovfefeAnon and
Rather than linking to the essay on "bingo" again, I'm going to ask: what is your problem with measurement? Are you pro-ignorance?
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Replying to @TeaGeeGeePea @CovfefeAnon and
You're trying to make a triple bank-shot of invalid (or at best very weak) inferences: 1. No-one cares about brain volume in itself 2. You're claiming brain volume is correlated with IQ
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Replying to @RCownie @CovfefeAnon and
I'm bringing up brain volume as a counter to the argument that differences are just cultural. We know that's not the case.
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Replying to @TeaGeeGeePea @CovfefeAnon and
We know there are physiological difference between ancestry groups, that's not contentious. It doesn't mean anything unless you can connect it to the issues that *are* in dispute.
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Replying to @RCownie @TeaGeeGeePea and
Right, there are physiological differences and the brain is a physical organ and there are known physiological differences in group average brains. Physiological differences in legs, arms and organs are caused by selection for different traits - obviously the same for brains.
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Replying to @CovfefeAnon @TeaGeeGeePea and
If you select for a big body you get a big brain along with it. So you need a better argument than saying "obviously", or mumbling that you don't really mean "brain volume", you mean brain volume relative to ... what exactly ? I can't even tell from the discussion so far.
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Brain size differs by groups like other physical traits and it's not a 1:1 correlate with body size across groups. Your assertion for why groups have different mental traits is "culture" - you have no explanation for how culture causes differential brain volume.
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Replying to @CovfefeAnon @TeaGeeGeePea and
You're bringing in something new with "mental traits" and I don't know what you mean by that. There are things we measure - brain volume, somewhat reliably; "IQ" - not very reliably and with culture/knowledge biases; reaction time.
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Replying to @RCownie @CovfefeAnon and
If you tell me what you mean by "mental traits", then I can say whether I believe they might a real thing related to ancestry-group genetics. If you're trying to skate around the question of the unreliability/bias of "IQ", not so much.
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