Mankind
Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 3-4 (Spring-Summer 2009)
pp. 280-291
Major Intelligence Gene Tied to Myopia: A Review
Jon L. Karlsson
Institute of Genetics, Reykjavik, Iceland
Data are reviewed which clearly support the conclusion that axial myopia is an inherited condition following a recessive pattern of transmission. Nearsighted persons excel in terms of intelligence, several studies in developed countries having indicated a gain of 7 IQ points over the general population. It also appears that visually normal heterozygous carriers of one myopia gene enjoy brain enhancement, probably of a somewhat lower degree than occurs in homozygous myopes. It is concluded that the proposed myopia gene is primarily an intelligence factor.
