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Archiver > TMG > 2004-03 > 1079039687


From: "Ronald Boyd" <>
Subject: RE: [TMG] OT - Why Do Genealogy
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 14:14:55 -0700
In-Reply-To: <003f01c40793$e1d50ec0$8333fea9@dimension>


John,

Your first point is much, much more complex than you imply. For a good
overview of this "new" science (Evolutionary Psychology) read - "The Moral
Animal: Why we are the way we are" by Robert Wright (Pantheon Books, New
York, 1994 - ISBN 0-679-40773-1). The book is ten years old already but
still a good place to start.

Your second point is, of course, just that simple.

Ron

-----Original Message-----
From: JEH [mailto:]
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 11:08 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [TMG] OT - Why Do Genealogy

Dale

Its a nice story but I'm sorry to disagree.

Firstly science does not tell us that every part of our bodies and certainly
not our minds has been programmed from our genes. That ignores the nurture
side of the nature/nuture debate. For example there is now powerful evidence
that the nutrition of a pregnant woman can "program" the fetus and exert a
major influence on health in adult life inducing conditions such as heart
disease and diabetes.

Secondly you cannot be sure that your William Cash from the 1600s has
contributed any of your genetic makeup at all. Humans have 46 chromosomes
half of which are inherited from each parent. My 8G-grandfather Matthew
Dodsworth was born cir 1660. Since I have 1024 8g-grandfathers to contribute
the 46 chromosomes the chances are that none of them comes from Matthew. The
exception that I can argue for is my 8g-grandfather on the direct male line
since he must have contributed the X-chromosome that makes me a male.
However since I don't know who he is (and even if I did) I still cannot
exclude the "milkman" effect.

John Heckels

----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2004 2:03 PM
Subject: Re: [TMG] OT - Why Do Genealogy


> Some years ago I put together a family type history for a grand daughter
and
> I wrote the following foreword to that book to try to explain why she
should
> have an interest in family.
>

<Snip>

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