> _The Adaptive Advantage of Autism_. Directed by Darwin's Lab, 2024. _YouTube_, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IwZ02DgDrA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IwZ02DgDrA). # Autism is an evolutionary gamble related to epistatic gene interactions - **Autism is heritable but reduces reproductive success** - **Why has natural selection not phased it out?** - It is a **==polygenic disorder==**: multiple genes contribute to its expression - Genes linked to autism are also linked to higher intelligence - Other theories include the **==extreme male brain theory==** and the **==reptile brain theory==** - **Extreme male brain theory: ==individuals with autism are capable of extreme focus==** - More suited towards **systematization rather than empathy** - **Autism more prevalent in males (3:1 ratio)** - "High-functioning" autistic individuals have above average IQs - Autistic people have different brain thickness patterns compared with neurotypical people - **Reptile brain theory: linked to the triune brain model** - First stage: vagus nerve in the initial layer, regulating behaviours like playing dead and avoiding conflict - Second stage: sympathetic adrenal system which prepares organisms for action in response to danger - Third stage: myelinated vagaus, which plays a role in social communication and calming behaviours - **==Individuals with autism would minimize the expression of the mammalian response, i.e., social communication==** - Another theory from [Ploeger and Galis](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277413/)<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3277413/> - At least 102 genes linked to autism, and most of them are linked with intelligence - Intelligence increases reproductive success - **==Epistatic gene interactions: most of the time, interactions between genes linked with autism result in normal or high intelligence and no autism==** - **However, in unlucky situations, a combination of such genes results in the development of autism** - Autism is highly-correlated with competence in a unique specific skill, or savant syndrome - Extreme forms of autism are non-adaptive, but mild forms of autism may be - Icons are averaged representations of concepts - Temple Grandin was an autistic woman who had trouble generalizing concepts - She felt closer to animals because of it, and designed slaughter houses that would make animals feel more comfortable - **==Attention to detail and differences in perception are possible comparative advantages of autistic people in the workforce==**