Hey, Eo, this is Aidan. Very nice. I think you're conclusion multi-gene proposal does an excellent job at modelling what we've seen of the wizarding world. I see you've been using your time well, even if there're no albatross people published yet ;)
I don't think that either the Seer trait or Metamorphmagus trait are single gene traits, though. It'd be pretty weird if the Blacks were carriers of the Metamorphmagus trait, but none of the ones we know mainfested it, considering they're part of a relatively endogamous group. And then for it to manifest in an out-cross like Tonks, well it seems unlikely.
I don't have a specific argument for why Seer can't be a simple genetic trait, but I don't think it is. As Faelori mentioned, we did some work on Seer as a complex trait resulting from a combination of several neural traits, which are not necessarily correlated, so different balances can result in different flavors of Seers. Most or all of these traits are effected by environmental factors, as well as the complex genetics that direct brain development.
For example, maybe there's a kernel of truth to the "seventh son" thing for Seers. The womb's chemical environment changes in seim-predictable ways with succesive pregnancies: perhaps later pregnancies are more likely to produce Seers.
i want to get some of my neurodevelopment references (currently out on loan) back before I write it all up, but I'll do it fairly soon either way, and post a link.
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Date: 2003-09-08 11:21 pm (UTC)I don't think that either the Seer trait or Metamorphmagus trait are single gene traits, though. It'd be pretty weird if the Blacks were carriers of the Metamorphmagus trait, but none of the ones we know mainfested it, considering they're part of a relatively endogamous group. And then for it to manifest in an out-cross like Tonks, well it seems unlikely.
I don't have a specific argument for why Seer can't be a simple genetic trait, but I don't think it is. As Faelori mentioned, we did some work on Seer as a complex trait resulting from a combination of several neural traits, which are not necessarily correlated, so different balances can result in different flavors of Seers. Most or all of these traits are effected by environmental factors, as well as the complex genetics that direct brain development.
For example, maybe there's a kernel of truth to the "seventh son" thing for Seers. The womb's chemical environment changes in seim-predictable ways with succesive pregnancies: perhaps later pregnancies are more likely to produce Seers.
i want to get some of my neurodevelopment references (currently out on loan) back before I write it all up, but I'll do it fairly soon either way, and post a link.