
More evidence that a population's type of agriculture shaped its recent evolution. China has rice and non-rice zones (green is paddy rice). A new study compare polygenic scores (PGS) for various traits for Chinese from the two zones.
PGS and % rice Seems like a relationship for 1 height 3 & 4 alcohol metabolism capacity (ADH1B ALDH2) 5 mental health (depression) 6 time preference 7 age of first birth But not for 2 BMI 8 education attainment 9 risk preference.
Source: Relationship between rice farming and polygenic scores potentially linked to agriculture in China
This supports the idea of the agricultural origin of important economic traits
Why would rice farmers be more likely to have the "Asian flush" alcohol effect? Was there a stronger selective pressure against alcoholism?
Lower age of first birth perhaps makes sense because rice is more productive. But, Southern China was also the malaria zone, so that may be a confound.
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