>>12108018Ashkenazi Jews have an unusual ability profile as well as higher than average IQ. They
have high verbal and mathematical scores, while their visuospatial abilities are typically
somewhat lower, by about one half a standard deviation, than the European average
(Levinson, 1977; Levinson and Block, 1977). Han Eysenck (Eysenck, 1995) noted “The
correlation between verbal and performance tests is about 0.77 in the general population,
but only 0.31 among Jewish children. Differences of 10-20 points have been found in
samples of Jewish children; there is no other group that shows anything like this size
difference.”
Conclusion
Our general hypothesis is that high IQ test scores of Ashkenazim, along with their
unusual pattern of abilities, are a product of natural selection, stemming from their
occupation of an unusual social niche. All the required preconditions–low inward gene
flow and unusually high reproductive reward for certain cognitive skills, over a longenough period–did exist. These preconditions are both necessary and sufficient, so such a
selective process would almost inevitably have this kind of result. The pattern of high
achievement among Ashkenazi Jews and the observed psychometric results are certainly
consistent with this hypothesis.
Our more specific prediction is that some or most of the characteristic Ashkenazi genetic
diseases are by-byproducts of this strong selection for IQ. In particular we think that this
is the most likely explanation of the sphingolipid mutations.
https://web.mit.edu/fustflum/documents/papers/AshkenaziIQ.jbiosocsci.pdfIt's enough time for some mutations to occur, so yeah. Mutation plus isolation = blue eye, pale skin, high IQ among people.
