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Humans Becoming Less Intelligent Owing to Civilization

By Samantha Goodwin | Update Date: Nov 14, 2012 03:53 AM EST

According to a new study, civilization is making humans less intelligent, as the concept of "fighting for survival" has long lost its essence.

According to a study conducted by Dr. Gerald Crabtree of Stanford and his colleagues, the simplicity of living in current times and the forgotten concept of "fighting for survival" is making humans more stupid and less intelligent.

Scientists reveal that a human's intelligence and emotional capabilities depend on the optimal functioning of 2000 - 5000 genes, making it very "fragile". According to Crabtree, these genes are very sensitive to mutation, and the current living conditions of humans are not very favorable.

"It is very likely that within 3000 years (~120 generations) we have all sustained two or more mutations harmful to our intellectual or emotional stability," writes Crabtree, in a study published in Trends in Genetics.

Agriculture, which was discovered long ago, required intelligence for judgment. However, with the passage of years, this has diminished, and so has a human being's ability to think and make correct judgments. "The need for intelligence was reduced as we began to live in supportive societies that made up for lapses of judgment or failures of comprehension," Crabtree says.

"A hunter-gatherer who did not correctly conceive a solution to providing food or shelter probably died, along with his or her progeny, whereas a modern Wall Street executive that made a similar conceptual mistake would receive a substantial bonus and be a more attractive mate. Clearly, extreme selection is a thing of the past."

Crabtree also reveals that based on his calculations of how the genes mutation has worked in humans over the years, the human species "reached its peak" 2,000 to 6,000 years ago.

"I would wager that if an average citizen from Athens of 1000 BC were to appear suddenly among us, he or she would be among the brightest and most intellectually alive of our colleagues and companions, with a good memory, a broad range of ideas, and a clear-sighted view of important issues," he said.

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