According to the latest studies in the field, smart people should thank their mothers, because they are responsible for transmitting the genes that determine intelligence.
We all know that intelligence has a hereditary component, but until a few years ago we thought it was passed down equally from both parents. However, several studies show that little ones will inherit intelligence from their mother, because the intelligence genes are on the X chromosome.
The first study on this topic was conducted in 1984 at Cambridge University and showed that genes transmitted from the mother contribute most to the development of the thinking center in the brain.
The most interesting study, conducted in Glasgow, Scotland, showed that young people aged between 18 and 22 have an IQ very close to that of their mothers, the average difference between them being only 15 points.
Can we really talk about hereditary intelligence?
It is estimated that between 40 and 60 percent of a person’s intelligence is hereditary. This means that the remaining percentages depend on the environment. In fact, what we call intelligence is, in fact, our ability to solve problems.
But the interesting part is that in order to solve problems, we also need the limbic system, because our brain works as a whole. So, even if intelligence is closely related to the function of thinking, it is also influenced by intuition and emotion, which from a genetic point of view, come from the father.
In addition, we must not forget that, although a child has a high IQ, we must stimulate his intelligence through new tests, which are constantly improving. Otherwise the intelligence will disperse.