PDA

View Full Version : Neanderthal theory of Autism Spectrum disorders


Ron Hitler-Barassi
09-16-2007, 02:11 PM
An interesting idea IMHO
http://www.rdos.net/eng/asperger.htm

Neanderthal theory of Autism Spectrum disorders
Abstract
http://www.rdos.net/neanderthal.jpg
In the past there have been numerous theories for the cause(s) of autism, Asperger's syndrome, ADHD and Tourette syndrome. Most of these theories can at best explain small parts of these diverse syndromes. Many of them extend their findings in spectacular ways to be able to claim to explain larger parts of the autism spectrum with little success.

This theory approaches the problem from a new radical viewpoint. Instead of approaching autism as a disorder, brain defect or the result of poor socialization or parenting, it claims that autistics are fully functional.

All the areas that are central to autism are related to species-typical adaptations that vary widely between species. These include nonverbal signals, social organization, sensory acuteness, motor skills, general preferences, sexuality, physical traits and biological adaptations. Some of this diversity in autistics is poorly understood and virtually unresearched and therefore is not published in peer-reviewed journals. Because of this lack of research, Aspie-quiz, an online questionnary, is heavily referenced for these traits.

Recent genetic research have demonstrated that the Out-of-Africa (OoA) model with no interbreeding fails to explain nuclear DNA diversity in Eurasia. Several models of interbreeding that do explain this diversity exists today. It therefore is quite likely that Neanderthals contributed to the Caucasian genome. Aspie-quiz have demonstrated in a large survey in the US population that Afroamericans have only 1/6 of the autism prevalence of Caucasians. The same survey also indicates that Asians and American Indians have about 1/2 of the autism prevalence of Caucasians.

Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of Aspie-quiz yields axises that seems to be related to the first Eurasian Homo, the formation of modern humans in Africa or South Asia and the hybridization between modern humans and Neanderthals in Europe. These axises seems to be 1.8 million years, 150,000 years and 37,000 years, which fits pretty good with the archaeologic evidences available.

Zed
09-16-2007, 08:18 PM
Very interesting theory.

Johnny Bravo
09-16-2007, 08:28 PM
Load of bull.

Fenian
09-17-2007, 01:33 AM
Interesting you should post this - I was just thinking of it myself.

I was thinking about speech, and the trouble I have with it.

I remember a woman getting her PhD in mathematics, who had a strange voice - she had started to pick up the accent of her Indian boyfriend. Look at the shape of her head:

http://i2.tinypic.com/4tu7gx2.jpg

My mother has a prominent forehead, a big head.

She doesn't have a bad voice, but it sounds a bit funny. My voice sounds funny to people. I've noticed many people with this skull shape have a similar sounding voice.

I had a pretty bad case of verbal Apraxia as a toddler.

I scored fairly high on aspberger's test.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNB0ihI2srQ

The Exorcist
09-17-2007, 02:36 AM
I had a pretty bad case of verbal Apraxia as a toddler.

I scored fairly high on aspberger's test.


Generally, how long does someone who is verbial apraxac speak with apraxia?

Fenian
09-17-2007, 03:03 AM
Generally, how long does someone who is verbial apraxac speak with apraxia?

I don't know, but parts of it don't go away for a long time. So the sound in "fur" was very hard to master. I've read lack of coordination is correlated with it, and I was always terribly uncoordinated.

I was very fortunate, I had an expert teach me, $40 dollars a half hour session in 1980 - he managed to make such progress that I have no trouble with pronunciation. No one else to that point had been able to help me. Really, by the time he was done I was almost normal - I say almost, because there was a kid who taunted me as a "sped", and would make fun of my mother's voice although I was never in any special ed or anything like that. The kiko-swedo-pedogogues in Minneapolis made me repeat kindergarten though. I can speak well enough that I played Henry Higgens in the High School musical, but every now and then someone thinks there's something off about my speech. The most recent example was a conversation I had with an old redneck truck-driver's wife, a neighbor of a friend of mine, who asked my friend if I was "challenged." I don't sound anything like those grown kids they interviewed, I'm very happy I had the help when I did, because they're obviously going to be judged for that condition for the rest of their life.

I tutored a kid who had something like it, only it also affected his reading, so when he would try to read a word the wrong syllables would come out of his mouth. He wasn't stupid, a fat jolly redhead, and his speech wasn't too bad, although he had some impediments. But the poor kid could not read aloud, the wrong sounds would come out.

Jaybird
09-17-2007, 03:05 AM
So uh, how does that explain autism in Africans?

the first Eurasian Homo
Anima Eternae?

Fenian
09-17-2007, 03:09 AM
So uh, how does that explain autism in Africans?


Anima Eternae?

There are asian girls with big foreheads.

Jaybird
09-17-2007, 03:21 AM
I'm talking about the article. If Neanderthals were the source of autism, then why are there Africans with autism?

Fenian
09-17-2007, 03:24 AM
Well, they could be partly white.

Some of these autistic like disorders may not all be the same disease.

I think there might be environmental factors at work as well.

The Exorcist
09-17-2007, 04:27 AM
they're obviously going to be judged for that condition for the rest of their life.


A damn shame too

gmork
09-17-2007, 08:24 PM
Several models of interbreeding that do explain this diversity exists today. It therefore is quite likely that Neanderthals contributed to the Caucasian genome

I thought this theory was now close to being considered completely discredited? As with skeletons of what were once considered 'hybrid' neandertal-cro-magnon crossbreeds now no longer considered as such.

Zed
09-21-2007, 03:05 AM
Load of bull.


What about the stuff the article claimed for Neanderthals and their "rodeo type injuries"? Seems like people who wrestled game animals to the ground ought to have marvelous co-ordination and shit rather than being clumsy.

MANGO!
09-30-2007, 07:17 AM
Fenian, what is your Jung-Myers-Briggs type (http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp)? Asperger's Syndrome and High Functioning Autism are thought to be associated with INTJ and INFJ.

Find out if you are an Aspietard: http://aq.server8.org/

Ron Hitler-Barassi
09-30-2007, 08:28 AM
Fenian, what is your Jung-Myers-Briggs type (http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp)? Asperger's Syndrome and High Functioning Autism are thought to be associated with INTJ and INFJ.

Find out if you are an Aspietard: http://aq.server8.org/

I answered as best I could for a 34, though the test asks some funny questions.
I have learned to get around alot of my "asperger" type behaviours as I have gotten older, and am comfortable in understanding the patterns to alot of interactions and situations now, fe I think I have no problems understanding subtle nuances in conversations, or predicting what people will do on next to no clues, though when a young 'un I was seen as trouble in the classroom, etc, mostly as I think aspergers type behaviours weren't understood very well then.

Jaybird
09-30-2007, 04:08 PM
I'm an INTJ and scored a 34 on the Asperger test. I do not like meeting new people, unless they're like me.

Fenian
09-30-2007, 04:32 PM
I took a similar test and scored 34 a while ago.

Fenian
09-30-2007, 04:44 PM
I'm ISFP according to the test - but I have a hard time answering the questions.

Johnny Bravo
09-30-2007, 05:31 PM
I suspect that I have a mild case of Asperger's, which mainly manifests itself in higher testosterone levels, megalocephaly and introversion. I like meeting new people, but only because I think they might have something interesting to say. If they can't move past the "small talk" phase within seconds, I stop speaking to them altogether because such people bore me to tears, though I've actually been called "exceptionally communicative" and "charming" before. Again, it all depends on who I speak to. I'm an INTP btw.