<p>It seems that specifics on the heredity of IQ are largely unknown today. That same wiki page says,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Intelligence in the normal range is a polygenic trait, meaning that it is influenced by more than one gene, and in the case of intelligence at least 500 genes.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The frequency and disconnection of studies like <a href="https://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/more/articles/22-genes-have-been-linked-to-intelligence" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-discovered-almost-1-000-new-genes-associated-with-intelligence" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> shows just how uncertain this field of science is today.</p>
<p>Since the genes that are passed on at random, they would be equally likely to be passed on from the mother as from the father - and the sheer amount of them would probably statistically lower any discrepancies.</p>
<p>However, there is one little thing that might dictate that one parent is more likely to pass on IQ than the other: IQ is partially determined by environmental factors, and these environmental factors can sometimes be manipulated by the parents - and this manipulation may depend on the parents' intelligence. For example, according to <a href="https://www.massagemag.com/infant-massage-boosting-babies-brain-power-23586/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this article</a>, infant massages can improve intelligence. It is quite possibly true that a more intelligent parent is more likely to find and notice this information. But perhaps it is also true that a father is generally more likely to accept and use this information than a mother, or vice versa. This would mean that one parent finding out this method to improve the baby's IQ would have more of an effect than the other one finding out.</p>
<p>Of course, this is only speculation, and this is clearly not strictly genetic, but it points to the possibility of one gender's IQ mattering more to the baby's development than the other's.</p>
<p>But with your example question, yes, that would probably be more likely, since that means there are more likely to be more IQ-related genes passed on.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-26T21:21:41.643Z
2020-08-26T21:21:41.643Z
bob
<p>I think on Wiki <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_IQ#:%7E:text=Twin%20studies%20of%20adult%20individuals,for%20late%20teens%20and%20adults." rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a> it is suggested that IQ is inherited to some degree.
But I can't find scientific information on whether it is more inherited from mother or father?</p>
<p><strong>e.g. if both mother and father have high IQ does it mean child is more likely to have high IQ then if for example only father has high IQ?</strong></p>

<measurement><intelligence><iq>
IQ Heritability: from father vs mother?
nicolas
# IQ Heritability: from father vs mother?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-22)

I think on Wiki [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_IQ#:%7E:text=Twin%20studies%20of%20adult%20individuals,for%20late%20teens%20and%20adults.) it is suggested that IQ is inherited to some degree.
But I can't find scientific information on whether it is more inherited from mother or father?

**e.g. if both mother and father have high IQ does it mean child is more likely to have high IQ then if for example only father has high IQ?**

**Tags:** measurement, intelligence, iq


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-08-26. Score: 1

It seems that specifics on the heredity of IQ are largely unknown today. That same wiki page says,

> Intelligence in the normal range is a polygenic trait, meaning that it is influenced by more than one gene, and in the case of intelligence at least 500 genes.

The frequency and disconnection of studies like [this](https://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/more/articles/22-genes-have-been-linked-to-intelligence) and [this](https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-discovered-almost-1-000-new-genes-associated-with-intelligence) shows just how uncertain this field of science is today.

Since the genes that are passed on at random, they would be equally likely to be passed on from the mother as from the father - and the sheer amount of them would probably statistically lower any discrepancies.

However, there is one little thing that might dictate that one parent is more likely to pass on IQ than the other: IQ is partially determined by environmental factors, and these environmental factors can sometimes be manipulated by the parents - and this manipulation may depend on the parents' intelligence. For example, according to [this article](https://www.massagemag.com/infant-massage-boosting-babies-brain-power-23586/), infant massages can improve intelligence. It is quite possibly true that a more intelligent parent is more likely to find and notice this information. But perhaps it is also true that a father is generally more likely to accept and use this information than a mother, or vice versa. This would mean that one parent finding out this method to improve the baby's IQ would have more of an effect than the other one finding out.

Of course, this is only speculation, and this is clearly not strictly genetic, but it points to the possibility of one gender's IQ mattering more to the baby's development than the other's.

But with your example question, yes, that would probably be more likely, since that means there are more likely to be more IQ-related genes passed on.


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