If autism is genetic, are we all related?

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Most experts agree that autism is in our genes. Does that mean we can all trace our ancestry back to one individual who underwent some sort of genetic mutation? I quite like the idea of us all being one big family. Or could this mutation have occurred more than once in human history? I don't really understand enough about how genetics works.

Seashell,
I am your father.

1) Every organism shares a common ancestor
2) All humans share a common ancestor separate from other species
3) There is more than one "autism gene"
4) Genes spontaneously mutate between generations. (Ex. You could be born a little person with no little people in your family as far back as recorded history)

So, it's way more complicated than a yes/no question

We are no more related than everyone who has blue eyes or brown hair is related.

8O
My mum obviously has a lot of explaining to do

I guess it makes sense that there's more than one autism gene. I suppose where you end up on the spectrum is down to how many of those genes you inherit.


I suppose not, I didn't think of that.

Perhaps, but that does not mean we are any less related.

As i have read through all my intensive researxh that i have done,
ASD have been around before christ, n they classic examples they believe such as ceaser ( and other ancients) were believed showed displays of it.
supposedly the scientist believe it.originated (as far as there studys have found) it was caused by inbreeding verrry long ago by tribes and such,

im not sure if its correct at all or not but personally it kinda makes sense

You don't have to go that far back. All currently living humans share one ancestor. This ancestor is known as Mitochondrial Eve (Due to the fact mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to child), a woman, who lived about 200.000 years ago in East Africa

I'm sure ASD has existed for far longer than humanity has existed in some form or another. It's just rarely seen in at least pack animals, as they rely on the social structure for survival. Can't get along with the pack? Well, tough luck, you're gonna die. LFA in animals can be detrimental for the group and the individual, and those animals are commonly left to die or cast out of the froup, but HFA can in some ways be alleviated in complex social groups (think primates).

While scientists hypothesize ASD may be a byproduct of tribal inbreeding, it may also be a product of genetic mutation.

My long-lost sister!

Genes flip on and off.

In some conditions they can skip an entire generation, regardless of family.

http://www.rdos.net/eng/asperger.htm



=) Read this. It's actually pretty fascinating.

You know I listened to an Attwood interview and he says that half of autism cases happen in utero. But it does run in the family to some extent. And he also says that women on the spectrum are more likely to pass the traits onto their children. Interesting, so if I ever have kids, I should be very ware of the potential of having a kid on the spectrum.

I used to believe in the neanderthal theory of autism, but apparently everybody outside of Africa inherited 4% of their genes from neanderthals. So the autism genes must have appeared later otherwise everybody who isn't African would be autistic. Unless those of us on the spectrum inherited more than 4% of our genes from neanderthals. I don't know if anyone has tested people with autism to see if we have a higher percentage of neanderthal genes.