On p.103 Shenk talks about a Kenyan
tribe that has a long standing tradition of training all of the young children
to run over a hundred miles per week. Shenk also states that because running
was used in raiding cattle, the better a man could run, the more cattle he
owned. As running faster gave men an economic advantage, they could now marry
more women and the more he could pass down his genetics to his children. This
shows that while genes can determine a persons ability, the surrounding society
has an influence on what genes are passed on. Discuss the natural selection of
certain genes through economic or social influence. Discuss how this affects
the argument of nature vs. nurture as it brings up a completely separate
element of genetic social Darwinism. (Liz Gorelick - lizgorelick@yahoo.com)
This deals with the idea of epigenetics as well as elements of natural selection. What is discussed here would be almost solely based on the nurture aspect if viewed as such since the men's bodies change over the course of their enhanced running practicing and that change in the body would be passed down to their children who in turn continue to change and perfect their body for running. If this natural selection like process were allowed to continue for generations it would eventually come to the point of a perfect runner who's body would be genetically predisposed to be a great runner with the physical changes of the ancestors passed down and a very early exposure to running and conditioning.
ReplyDeleteBut as Schenk explains, this concept of nature v nurture can no longer be looked at so simply as just that, since the development of almost all traits are from the intertwining of the nature and nurture concepts. The expression and development of traits depend on ancestry, location, early exposure, environment, and much more.
Similar to the Kenyan life style as presented by David Shenk, some incredibly competitive athletes purposefully work out in higher altitudes for certain sports which require great cardiovascular capability. An athlete might have an initially more healthy heart than someone else, but that someone else can certainly work toward cardiovascular success in many ways, one being the high altitude workouts. These workouts, in the long run, cause “a decrease in maximum cardiac output, and a decreased maximum heart rate, an increased number of red blood cells, a chemical change within red blood cells that makes them more efficient at unloading oxygen to the tissues, an increase in the number of mitochondria and oxidative enzymes, excretion of base via the kidneys to restore acid-base balance.” (http://www.rice.edu/~jenky/sports/altitude.html) All of these long term benefits of high altitude exercise and further supports David Shenk’s claim that environmental factors can affect success and human development.
ReplyDeleteThis example intertwines with the idea of social Darwinism. The idea of “survival of the fittest” plays an important role because those with a strong cardiovascular capability are able to live longer because of a stronger, healthier heart. High altitude workouts, as referenced above, can greatly increase this and guarantee a successful passing on of your genes because you are considered “the fittest.” Furthermore, social Darinism also takes into account a person’s economic and social background and influence. (http://library.thinkquest.org/C004367/eh4.shtml) Everyone is born into different families and lifestyles, which generally compels each and every person to excel in their normal, daily activities to achieve the greatest success.
-Sachin Vasikaran (sachinvasikaran@gmail.com)