Status Updates From Race And Crime: A Biosocial...

Note that r- or K-selected traits are mostly behavioral traits underpinned by physiological processes that help to maintain those traits, thus we are talking about facultative strategies, not genetically fixed ones (Rushton, 1997).

an enzyme called monoamine oxidase A (MAOA). This enzyme acts in the brain to maintain the healthy balance of several different neurotransmitters, including serotonin and dopamine, by breaking them down and recycling the excess. Low levels of MAOA may be insufficient to clear away the "chemical debris" within the synaptic spaces, which will then interfere with subsequent neurotransmissions.

Harpending and Cochran (2002:12) state: "It is probably no accident that two of the best known ethnographies of the twentieth century are titled 'The Harmless People,' about the !Kung who have few or no 7R alleles, and the 'Fierce People,' about the Yanomamo with a high frequency of 7R."

DRD4 receptor gene

The DRD4 gene is of interest to criminologists because it is the gene coding for the dopamine receptor protein. To grossly simplify, dopamine is a "motivating" neurotransmitter that is implicated in a number of syndromes associated with antisocial behavior, such as ADHD, impulsiveness, and sensation seeking

DRD4 receptor gene

The DRD4 gene is of interest to criminologists because it is the gene coding for the dopamine receptor protein. To grossly simplify, dopamine is a "motivating" neurotransmitter that is implicated in a number of syndromes associated with antisocial behavior, such as ADHD, impulsiveness, and sensation seeking