Recent ancient‑DNA evidence suggests cultural change (shifts in diet, settlement, mate choice, institutions) is now a major selective force shaping human genetics alongside traditional environmental pressures. If cultural preferences and technologies consistently alter reproductive success, genomic change can accelerate in directions tied to social structure rather than only to ecology.
— If culture increasingly drives genetic change, debates about inequality, reproductive policy, and the interpretation of polygenic associations gain scientific urgency and political salience.
Bob Grant
2026.04.17
100% relevant
David Reich et al.'s Nature analysis identifying 479 alleles under recent directional selection and the article's emphasis that some selected variants link to education/income illustrate culture‑mediated evolutionary change.
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