Scientists find genetic signature of Down syndrome in ancient bones

Re:Scientists find genetic signature of Down syndrome in anc... by RoyalHenOil on Thursday February 29, 2024 @05:02PM (#39555796)

I suspect that we would only see a speciation event like this if people with Down's syndrome were segregated from people without Down's syndrome and allowed/forced to form a parallel society. It's hard to imagine modern human society tolerating such an apartheid, leper-colony style of treatment of people with Down's syndrome, however.

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Re:Scientists find genetic signature of Down syndrome in anc... by Tabular-Iceberg on Friday March 01, 2024 @10:58AM (#39562965)

Segregation would take them out of the ecological niche where normal people provide for them. They’d be back to Stone Age survival outcomes.

Besides there is already a social taboo against engaging in sexual intercourse with them because of the substantial power asymmetry. So really the only impediment to speciation is the lack of fertility.

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