Aspergers, a path to species differentiation?

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While, as you say, a species seperated does tend to diverge and eventually become two seperate species, This cannot be the only path. Australian marsupials come in a number very closely related but seperate species that inhabit the same ecosystems. There is and has been no physical seperation for this to be the cause.

I'm suggesting that the behaviour modification inherant is some mutations may be sufficient to bring about the difference. Whether that mutation is successful and able to coexist or even replace the previous version depends on alot of factors

Wrong. Pangea broke up and Australia became an island.

ruveyn

Those are not "traits of Aspies". Those are traits that are found in varying degrees throughout all of the human population. There is no evidence that the sub-population of Aspies has the traits in a higher proportion than the rest of the population.

Non-Autistic people have these traits, too. Coupled with their greater ability to socialize, and you may begin to understand why so many of them are successful, and so many of us are not.

Intelligence, creativity, and controlled emotions mean nothing if you can not or will not socialize.

Face it: Your fantasy has little or no basis in reality, and no one is likely to buy into it.

I think the consensus is that Aspies tend to be less emotional (not that that is necessarily a good thing). However, intelligence is certainly not an "Aspie trait". Certainly if you say to most people "I'm autistic" then they'll think you have low intelligence. Across the spectrum we have roughly the same intelligence as NTs.

Bottom line: although some Aspies characteristics may be advantageous in some situations, the advantage for mating is minimal at best. Best case scenario, the highest functioning Aspies earn more than most NTs so can attract better mates. Worst case scenario: Aspies suck at socialising so are behind in the mating game and largely struggle to mate.

Species differentiation necessarily requires that the two species cannot interbreed and create fertile offspring. So long as Autistics and NTs can create fertile offspring, we will continue to be the same species.

Actually this is not the process of species differenciation, this is the result.


"Wrong. Pangea broke up and Australia became an island. "

Yes and the marsupials sailed off with it TOGETHER. No seperation yet great diversity of closely related species sharing same habitat. Allow me to have some insight into marsupials as I live in the forest with them and have raised orphan joeys.

Yet again I offer for consideration that as a spectrum condition, not all points of the spectrum would be likely material, but some of the HF traits could well be. It's a dicussion. I don't "believe" it, I don't ask any of you to believe it. I wouldn't ask you to bet your house on it.

Traits get incorporated into the mainstream genome all the time (over alongish period)

Ther main point I have been trying to make is that Aspies difficultiy with social signalling COULD, not definitely is, the sort of thing that could lead to a differentiation. Like birds that change there song and plumage.

When did I suggest otherwise?

Yeah. The physically and socially blessed.

As the topic is about process, then what was the point of stating the obvious end result or the current state of play?

There are a number of closely related species that don't normally interbreed, but under certain conditions will. Its called hybridisation.

If you wish to clearly observe the dynamics of human breeding, you will notice that sports jocks are not the only successful breeders.

Good point. I have found vegans hard to live with.

Love it.

You may believe that the topic is about process--but I suggest that you cannot talk meaningfully about process unless you undertstand the points at which the process, or discrete elements of it can be said to have reached fruition.

Exactly. One should never confuse action with direction, or direction with a goal.

I am married to an NT (56 years now) Only one of our kids showed any sign of Asperger's. He either adapted (as I did) or grew out of it.

ruveyn

Of course we are still of the same species and able to breed, but if the pattern of history continues our species will eventually be replaced by a more "suitable " variant primate, possibly coexist with a new variant, or go extinct without leaving a new variant. The coexist has happened in the past for a period, but Sapiens is terribly aggressive and wiped out the competition.

We've agreed that physical separation+ time is one way of differentiation. And there is another way where there is differentiation without separation. Flowers and pollinating insects show a great diversity in closely related species, many having only one combination of flower and pollinator, others of course are more diverse.
Here again we need to consider the reading of environmental and social signalling being a significant influence in driving differentiation.

The propensity of Aspies to read differently/ fail to read social signalling and it would seem to some extent to also read the phenomenal world around us in differing ways to NTs, is somewhat similar and to my mind worthy of contemplation.

We must remember that in the not so distant past, and even today in some places or with some people, interracial breeding has been taboo and often persecuted. If these views continued for an extended length of time this would effectively constitute a physical barrier.

Social signalling and attitudes have the capacity if they become deeply ingrained, to drive a wedge into the common genetic heritage, especially when coupled with even minor genetic difference.

In apparent steady state development this would take a long time, but in times of severe crisis for a species not so long. It's not unknown in Sapiens society that racial/social groups have persecuted other racial/social groups purely for being different.