OT: Racialist evolutionary psychology

Hello,

Due to my personal political convictions, I hope that the research
conducted by J. Philippe Rushton is wrong on the affairs of his partly
genetic approach to race differences in intelligence based on E. O.
Wilson's r/K selection model.

Whatever the nebulous IQ concept means, twin studies suggest that it is
highly heritable. There exists some other correlations, between cranium
size and IQ, for instance. So, I expect to find fluctuations of
"intelligence" which are genetic in origin in different populations.
However, I don't expect those to be very significant; according to the
evidence I've seen, extra-genetic factors are much more important.

For those not familiar with the thesis, here is a summary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Philippe_Rushton

Below are some of the most revelant critiques I've encountered to
address Rushton's work on the book Race, Evolution and Behavior. I'd
like to know if there are any others more relevant and if the ones
presented are sound:

1) "r" selected populations are expected to evolve in environments that
have more stable climates; gorillas and humans evolved for instance in
equatorial and tropical lands. The "white" and "oriental" racial
categories of Rushton, whom he claims to be the most "r" selected human
populations, evolved in Eurasia, mostly a temperate land.

2) Hispanics, who are the descendants of both native americans (asian
in origin) and white europeans score at average less IQ points than
both the "white" and "oriental" categories of Rushton, which goes
against the claim that race differences in intelligence are between 50%
and 80% genetic in origin.

3) Sexual maturity and nursing and are highly influenced by
environmental effects, namely nutrition

4) There are also the standard criticisms on the race concept even at
the level of "very extended family" or large ethnic group; there are
higher internal fluctuations among these great groups than between
them.

5) r/K reproductive strategies in humans are able to "jump" between
generations, being sensitive to social and cultural factors; abusive
fathers bearing many offspring (a "K" sexual approach) might render for
instance individuals with more social disabilities and more cautious
with relationships (a more "r" sexual approach).

6) Again, what is the reliability of the IQ tests and what counts as an
unbiased measurement? Sub-saharan africans and australian natives are
considered to be mentally retarded according to their average IQ
scores, which is plain wrong. This says much more about the
preconceptions and ranges of the IQ test than what it actually does
measure. How would a hunter-gatherer or desert nomad who has never seen
abstract logical puzzles before react when an outsider psychologist
asks him to make these sorts of tests?

Thanks in advance.

- M.D.

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