Evolution and path models in human behavioral genetics

The evolutionary implications of the path-analysis model most often used in human behavior genetics are examined. With directional selection, a model of pure vertical environmental transmission does not respond in a fully adaptive fashion. Unless the coefficients of transmission are exactly 0.50, the population mean will not equilibrate at the selective optimum over time. If there is both genetic and vertical environmental transmission, then the population mean can equilibrate at the selective optimum. In the presence of genetic transmission, vertical environmental transmission increases population fitness and has a strong effect on the rapid movement of the mean toward the selective optimum. This raises the intriguing paradox of why empirical evidence suggests that vertical environmental transmission is usually small when it possesses such important fitness properties.This work was supported in part by Grant DA05131 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.